I am a Tucson filmmaker, and this is garbage. Well, not if you had about $10,000, but these criminals received $820,000. I don't even know what else to say.

What a joke. When are the citizens going to wake up and change this place. I moved here only three years ago and will be glad to see the freeloaders of city council get booted out on the street. Maybe they need to take some inspiration from their own video, on the road again. We can't wait to see you get on the road again and out of here.

Con Amor y Bendiciones para Chuk Shon

I find it strange that there is not more outrage about how this city has wasted all this money.

well, i guess this is what people from the east coast *expect* tucson to be like, anyway...

The film makers should have to provide proof that all footage was shot in TUCSON. If not, all payments for this film should be refunded. Yes it is pretty scenery but it is not TUCSON. The few parts that might be look like someone's home movies of a trip to the Desert Museum.

Several facts about this are very true. First, the City made a mistake and attempting to point the finger somewhere else is also a mistake. Second, the film is OK, for what it shows, but what else is there that is not being presented? Third, there are many great film makers in Tucson and that is another mistake the City made by not using one or more of them. Fourth, with all of the talent around, and the negative emotions that this clip has produced, how about the local video and film makers get together and not only make the City look even more foolish, but really knock this one out of the park and create their own promo film. This would not only vindicate all of the negative comments, but would show how the people of Tucson can unite to get something done right. How much more would it be worth, not speaking of money, if the best Tucson promotional video ever, came by way of a joint volunteer effort by local professionals? That is my vote.

Why doesn't Az Daily Star do some research to find out what videos of this type usually go for? Its very expensive to make something like this. I wonder more about the $70,000 supervision fee charged by the Design firm--what exactly did they provide for that. Other than that--it is a beautiful piece and could surely be used in many other setting--the Desert Museum, our Botanical Gardens, etc--I would pay to own one and I am sure a lot of tourists would too. Its easy to criticize plans made before the economy went belly up.

Sorry guys I was cut off by site.We have great techs.in az.and have made great films etc. this video shows like we still live in the 1700 hundreds they need to show the beautiful churchs-homes-people-and the great things that make your state to be proud of stand up people and do something take pride in yourself We are great techs. and they can not take that away from you .

I must say a few things about this state -it is a beautiful place and I am glad I moved here from from my home state of La. in 1997 2 meet and b with beautiful people .This video did show the beauty of some of Az. but it looked like a bunch of out takes for a film - I have seen low budget movies made for a lot less and have had better revues -Where are all of the great buildings - people

It seems that our council members are tossing the ball to one another and not taking any responsability for this. Once again they are making us look stupid! We have great, professional film makers here in Tucson. I have been in the industry for over 15 years and I am very proud of all my film industry colleges. We would have made a much better video with a lot of feeling into it because we live here and know the old pueblo. For a lot less money and would have used the rest of the money to boost our film industry and maybe show this video to bring tourists that are expecting to see the south west, cactus an not green grass! The comment that Nina Trasoff "wold class video" does she not know that we could have produced a much better video. Shame. at one time Trasoff was in the film industry!!

All I have to say is that our city council's days are numbered.

Just where is that charming running river? I've lived in Tucson for 26 years

The city fleeced me out of 15k in fees this year. I would like to claim the pic of the turkey and half of the javalina footage as my own, if their is no disagreement?

Same old waste of money/give our hard earned tax dollars to another state. When will we get people in our city council or mayor that has brains. Lets ask them to work for a month with no pay and then maybe they won't waste our money. That movie is not Tucson- years back or now. To watch what our Tucson government officers do is depressing. They are flippit and not responsible! To think some of them don't remember voting on it. OH MY!

There needs to be investigate for fraud. Most of the clips look like stock footage. Someone should call the FBI for national fraud. Woof..

Hey folks, we wuz robbed!!!

Oh my damn car,that video sucked. That is not Tucson. In fact, i didnt even see Tucson in the video. Green grass stratiching for miles. What the hell?

If this video were any good, it would generate some type of an emotional response. I got nuthin'.

Well, the cinematography was enjoyable. I think Tucson can still use it, with and with other music, narration, etc. It is not a lost cause. Distribute it throughout the net. Let people embed it on their Tucson sites. I could make this worth more to Tucson than $820,000.

820k seems like a lot to spend on a movie that will only be seen on az star net. How much of the councils own money would they have spent on this stinker?

I have not been left SPEECHLESS in years! I am today. Mayor and Council, you should have hired Dave Wing from Pima College (cinema photographer), Nate Shelton (one Hell of a Photog and sound man), Steve Bayless (KUAT Master editor) and ME (Nancy Montoya- to produce). We would have given you a product at a tenth of the price and shown you the REAL Tucson. We are all local, all have won major national and international awards and we have and are raising our families here. Shame - Shame. I am so disappointed in this city council, and Mayor where were you when this out of town group showed up to pick our pockets!

OMG. That's one awful video. I mean, I know it's "pretty" (in a nostalgic, vintage picture postcard kind of way), but what in the heck does it have to do with the Tucson that most of us live in today? Based on this video, you'd never guess Tucson was a teeming metropolis of about a million people (most not on horseback the last time I checked). I was completely mystified by the repeated images of Tumacacori. Huh? The people that produced this video are clearly clueless, much like our City Council. The job of making this film should definitely have gone to a Tucson-based filmmaker, who no doubt would have produced a far superior product for less than half the cost of this stinker. What do we have to do to stop the madness?

196 seconds for almost a million, that sounds like a real bargain! Keep up the good work City of Tucson. Will the City Manager take pay cut if he has to? What else out there do you guys waste money on, besides driving the City of Tucson cars w/ac around doing nothing. And with the money we make on this, get to the pot holes in the streets. And what about the parks in Tucson? I know of one specifically that took over 5 months to pick up some trash.

Someone needs to loose their job over this! Very pretty, but did not show Tucson at all! Rock climbing,Biking,Birding,Horeback riding,caverns,kitts peak,fossils,rock hounding,so much to do! That's Tucson in a nut shell!

If you care about the future of our community get these people out. Trasoff admitted that she is clueless. We cant afford this council!

WHY NOT HIRE A LOCAL PRODUCTION COMPANY?

I have one question: Where is Tucson in the video?

All my ex's live in Taxes.

Crappy video too. nothing to do about tucson culture except some of the obvious stuff you can already find on-line...nice.

What a rip-off. This could have easily been produced at 1/10th the price.

As a local award winning filmmaker, I am appalled that City of Tucson's representatives didn't have the foresight to seeking local production companies for their endeavor. The piece is beautiful. I am wondering about the message, those unfamiliar with Tucson would have the impression after viewing this piece, that Tucson had plenty of open land for development and that we were all riding horseback. Quite nostalgic. City of Tucson please look in your own backyard!

Other than its proximity to Tucson and that both locations share the Santa Cruz River, what does Tumacacori have to do with Rio Salado? $820,000 for a "boiler plate" nature walk on film?Somebodies must have roken anchor with sanity.

What do you expect from a group coming out of Washington, DC. but waste of our money. Thanks council for another great budget decision.

The video looks beautiful, but you can make a beautiful video with a good story for a mere $200,000 as well. The rest of the $620,000 should have gone to other badly needed city services. Who's running this crazy town anyway?

From the three and a half minutes of film we could view, the film appears to a wonderfull production. I would love to see the rest of the film. I dont think we the Taxpayers should have shelled out $820,000 though.

Jon, I'd bet you're wrong...it appears to be the Whole Enchilada! Anyway you look at it...$820,000 was spent and wasted!

I just completed a 50 minute doc with a budget of $3K. I also produced 52 half hours of award winning national public TV that ran nationally for 7 years for $300K. Tucson's been had!

The Star is wrong. This is only selected footage of a longer film. Get the facts right.

You have to be kidding, I've seen better on Youtube.