LAFAYETTE, La. — The Acadiana Center for the Arts is now home to the Louisiana Scoring Program, an effort that's turning up the volume on Louisiana’s role in the global entertainment industry.
This program offers local artists, composers, and industry professionals the opportunity to create original music for film, television, and video games that are all recorded in Downtown Lafayette.
“We take the music from composers who write for this medium, and we record it with Louisiana’s best musicians from around the state,” says David Boudreaux, studio program manager for Louisiana Scoring.
The idea behind the scoring program has been in development for years. Now, it’s finally becoming a reality thanks to the ACA's partnerships with Lafayette Economic Development Authority and the Lafayette Consolidated Government.
So how does it work?
“So essentially, it starts out with a project. Say you have a movie that’s being made—towards the end of the movie process, called the post-production process—they then need to have music written for that film. So they approach a composer and say, ‘Hey, we need you to write music for our film," he said.
Not only is the program designed to serve creative professionals, it’s also positioning Louisiana as a competitive and cost-effective alternative to major entertainment hubs like Los Angeles and Nashville, according to Boudreaux.
“We believe it is one of the most affordable scoring programs in the United States,” he says. “So that gives composers a really good bang for their buck for their product. It saves them money, but not only that it brings in money to the state.”
For Louisiana’s film industry, which has faced a slowdown in recent years, this program is a great resource for industry professionals.
“Not only here in the state of Louisiana, it is throughout the United States. There's a massive decline in the amount of productions being filmed that are in the U.S. right now,” says Jason Waggenspack, President of Film Louisiana.
KATC asked if there are any current movie productions happening in the state so far this year.
“There are no major productions right now. There are some smaller independent films, many under $2 to $3 million, that are happening. Any projects between $40 or $50 million and above are usually looking outside to Canada or to Europe where they know their dollar can be stretched a little further,” he says.
With top-of-the-line equipment, sound booths, and expert production teams, the Louisiana Scoring Program is sure to be a blockbuster.
“The mere fact that they've gotten together with so many talented musicians to put together scores writing actual music for these games and films right in the central part of the state,” Waggenspack says. "Showcases the wealth of talent, the wealth of opportunity that we have for our locals here in the state.”
Full-scale film project recordings are expected to begin by June 2025.
To learn more about the Louisiana Scoring Program, click here.
