The Mayor Karen Bass was standing in Hollywood actors guild SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles headquarters, surrounded by a bunch of film industry players. She made a promise to make it easier for productions to shoot in Los Angeles. So, she signed an executive directive to support local film and TV jobs. This action is supposed to lower costs and streamline city processes for on-location filming. It will also increase access to legendary L.A. locations such as Griffith Observatory, Central Library, and the Port of Los Angeles. Representatives from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and other union leaders were pretty excited about this move.
Los Angeles has been the global capital of film production for about 115 years now. But, the city has been losing production jobs to other states and countries that offer better tax incentives, cheaper labor, and more filming-friendly bureaucracies. With the film and TV industry facing a broader downturn, Los Angeles is at a crucial moment. Will it still be a place where middle-class entertainment workers can make a living and new productions can be successful? Or has the city permanently lost its ground in the industry? The changes made by the mayor may not be huge, but industry veterans are hopeful that they will make things easier for productions and solve logistical issues.
Maybe it’s just me, but not really sure why this matters, but Mayor Bass said that her family has been involved in the film industry for three generations. She called on the state Legislature to pass legislation that would increase film and TV production tax credits to make California more competitive. Governor Gavin Newsom recently doubled California’s film tax credit to $750 million for the next year. The fires in January 2025 were just another setback for Los Angeles’ signature industry, which has been facing a series of crises and challenges in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic closures, Hollywood labor strikes in 2023, and production stagnation have all taken a toll on the industry.
In the first three months of this year, on-location production in the Greater Los Angeles area dropped by almost a quarter compared to the same period last year. This decline has had a ripple effect on the local economy, impacting not just studio workers but also businesses like restaurants. Councilmember Adrin Nazarian introduced a City Council proposal to streamline the city’s film permitting process, acknowledging the broader impact of dwindling filming on the community. The film and TV industry in the post-peak TV era has shrunk, with studios greenlighting fewer shows and cutting jobs. Generous tax incentives in other states and countries have made it challenging for L.A. productions to remain economically viable.
Not really sure why this is a big deal, but Bass’ directive is expected to help current productions in Los Angeles. Lindsay Dougherty, head of Teamsters Local 399, representing over 6,000 movie Teamsters in Hollywood, emphasized the importance of such initiatives. She mentioned the need for more funding for the state tax credit program and potential federal legislation to support the industry. The mayor’s directive includes measures to lower production costs, such as reducing the number of city staff required on filming locations. City departments are also instructed to find ways to lower fees associated with on-site staff or inspections. Additionally, the order aims to facilitate filming at iconic city-owned properties like the Griffith Observatory, which has become too expensive to use as a location. The city will reduce fees for filming at the observatory and make it easier to shoot at other notable locations like the Port of Los Angeles and Central Library.
Industry advocates have been raising these issues with the mayor’s office for a while now, expressing frustration at the lack of proactive measures. The changes proposed by Mayor Bass are a step in the right direction, but the challenges faced by the film and TV industry in Los Angeles are multifaceted and require a comprehensive approach to address them.
