Prolific filmmaker and Oklahoma native, Brent Ryan Green has been a driving force in Oklahoma’s film industry, championing the state as a premier destination for large-scale productions. Green’s contributions have been pivotal in attracting major projects to the region, including “Reagan” starring Dennis Quaid and Lionsgate’s “American Underdog,” the inspiring Kurt Warner story. With over 70 film and television projects to his name and two decades of industry experience, Green has built a reputation as a versatile and accomplished filmmaker. Since 2020 alone, he has spearheaded more than 10 productions in Oklahoma, solidifying the state’s role in the global film landscape.
Can you tell us how and why you started your business?
I came into film in a roundabout way. I was in business school when I had the opportunity to work on the film “End of the Spear,” which was shooting in Panama. After returning to Oklahoma, I enrolled in Oklahoma City Community College’s (OCCC’s) film program under the legendary producer Gray Fredrickson. I immediately immersed myself in the world of filmmaking, directing short films and features while learning the ropes.
What services do you provide within the film/music industry?
I’m a filmmaker who directs and produces. I currently operate via three entities based in Oklahoma City.
BRG Films is our creative development division, currently focused on a small slate of passion projects developed in-house. I’m very excited about what we’re building at BRG Films. Variety recently released an article about “Hood,” a TV series we’re developing about Robin Hood’s path to notoriety, based on the King Raven trilogy by best-selling author Stephen R. Lawhead.
Toy Gun Films, started in 2009, was created to champion stories of moral courage from different perspectives and worldviews. After shooting an award-winning slate of short films in places like Japan and South Africa, Toy Gun expanded to encompass more films with inspiring stories. Toy Gun Films has been involved in a number of films shot in Oklahoma, such as “I Can Only Imagine,” “American Underdog” and “Reagan.”
Gray Hour Production Services provides a wide range of resources to productions of all sizes and budgets. From big-budget studio pieces like “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Twisters” and “Tulsa King” to local Indies like Sundance favorite “Wild Indian,” our goal is to help these projects—both big and small—take full advantage of what this state has to offer and hopefully entice people to keep coming back for more. We’ve been doing this for almost 20 years now, going back to the early days of the Oklahoma film scene on films like “Yellow” and “August Osage County.”
The rebate in Oklahoma is the backbone of what we do. It’s been instrumental in bringing projects, both big and small, to the state. I love Oklahoma and aim to do what I can to continue pushing it to the forefront of the world stage.
How has your company grown to meet the needs of Oklahoma’s film and/or music industries over the last 3-5 years?
We have dramatically expanded our network to serve the surge of projects coming to Oklahoma. Our state’s incentive programs have attracted some incredible talent who are creating some of the best content out there. Not only have we been able to collaborate with other local filmmakers and visionaries, but we’ve also convinced well-established creatives from all over the world to make their films here in Oklahoma, creating opportunities for local artists to really shine.
What are the benefits of basing your company’s operations in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma is special. It sounds cliché, but I work on films all over the world, have an additional office in L.A., and still, Oklahoma is, without a doubt, home. Oklahoma is where I choose to operate my business and bring my projects whenever possible.
We’re conveniently located in the middle of the country with a great airport and world-class amenities. Our team can get anywhere in the country quickly. The talent pool is impressive, and the state incentives and community support exponentially improve the quality and scale of what people can accomplish here.
What would you consider your business’s greatest accomplishment to date?
I’m currently producing the TV series “The Chosen,” and seeing this become a worldwide phenomenon has been an incredible experience. There have been plenty of projects over the years that I’m extremely proud of having worked on. One of the things I get the most satisfaction from is the opportunity to bring projects like “American Underdog” and “I Can Only Imagine” to Oklahoma. Being a part of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” my second feature with Scorsese, in my home state this time, was also really special.
Are there any recent successes your company would like to highlight related to work within the Oklahoma film and music industries?
“Twisters!” “Twisters” was definitely a fun spring and summer for us! Ethan would text “this is what we need…” and sometimes I had it! Sometimes not, but it was nice that they appreciated our work.
What are you working on now/next?
I’m really excited about what BRG Films has in development. In addition to the “Hood” series I mentioned earlier, I’m working on a modern western that I’ve specifically crafted for Oklahoma, with the state and its history becoming characters of sorts.
Outside of that, we have another three seasons locked in with “The Chosen” and some exciting developments happening in that space. I’m currently attached to direct two feature films and working with “He Gets Us” on a variety of media and content that I’m very passionate about.
What is your goal/vision for the future of your company?
I really feel that we are coming into our own. We’ve been able to establish something solid here with the skills and experience to back it up. The current slate of films we are working on is bigger and more exciting than anything we’ve done before. So the next 20 years should be pretty epic.
What advice do you have for others who are considering starting a film or music business in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma film is burgeoning—the momentum that this industry has managed to generate over the past 20 years is incredible. We’re becoming a true “hot spot” for filmmakers. It’s been the perfect place to base this business for me, and the quality of life here is unmatched. In my opinion, there’s no better place or time to get started.
What opportunities do you believe await Oklahoma’s film/music industry in the future?
The opportunities are endless. The infrastructure is building rapidly, and we are meeting the challenges head-on. Oklahoma has the opportunity to become a premier location for filmmaking, and I’m excited to be a part of it.
Each featured individual or business is given the provided questions to answer in their own voice. Other than formatting and grammar, the answers are personal to each featured voice, and are not provided by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office.
