California Tax Credits To Impact Louisiana Film Industry?

The reason so many features films, television shows, and theatrical releases are being filmed in  Louisiana has less to do about the scenery and more about the  money.

Film makers and production companies are looking for tax credits and Louisiana offers a lot of tax credits to those wanting to film within the borders of our state. We've been so succesful in extending these tax credits to bring film makers to our state that we've earned the nickname " Hollywood South".

California has decided enough  movie money has gone out of the  Golden State and they are ready to stop the bleeding. The California legislature recently passed a measure that would more than triple that states tax credits for film makers, movie producers, and TV production.  In real dollars and cents that's an incentive of more than 300-million dollars to do business in California.

Will these changes in the California tax credits affect our state's TV and movie industry? Probably not, says Chris Stelly, Executive Director of Louisiana Entertainment,

"We do expect the Louisiana entertainment brand in our state's film industry to continue to remain strong, despite the shifting strategies of other states and nations."

Stelly's comments were reported by the Louisiana Radio Network.

Stelly went on to say that tax credits aren't the only reason that producers choose Louisiana for filming. The state's natural beauty and ever increasing skilled labor pool make it very popular with production companies.

Another reason why so many film makers pick Louisiana over states like California is the low cost of doing business. As you  might imagine the overhead and production costs are significantly lower in our state than they might be out west.

Only time will tell to see if this action by California will have a negative impact on our state's television and film industry. Until then it's lights,camera, action, and business as usual in "Hollywood South".