Tourism ad hire irks NM movie companies

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Some in New Mexico's movie community aren't happy that a California firm was hired to shoot a new television commercial for the state Tourism Department.

The flap follows the department's announcement in January that it had selected Texas-based Vendor Inc. to head its new $2 million advertising campaign.

The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/zKIQcZ ) that it was Vendor that selected California-based Papaman to produce the commercial. The producers shot in a variety of locations throughout the state over a period of four days.

Tourism Secretary Monique Jacobson says the project used out-of-state people such as a five-person camera crew.

Dave Roberts of Southwest Productions says the out-of-state hire "added salt to the wound."

He says companies such as his would have been able to produce the commercial.