A sharp decline in film and
TV production taking place in the Los Angeles area has caused the leaders of
LA-based studios and the California state government to identify its underlying
factors and come up with solutions to stem the outflow of work. Last
week’s report film FilmLA showed that local area production is
continuing to decline despite the enhanced
film & tax credits California’s state government passed
last year. Even higher tax credits offered
by other U.S. states like New
York
and Georgia may
still be drawing production away from LA.
But international film centers may be an even bigger factor in the
decline, with territories such as the U.K. and Ireland outpacing the U.S. This is causing panic not only for Los
Angeles but the U.S. production industry overall.
Los Angeles Times took a deep
dive into how Ireland has turned itself into a production hub for film,
television, game shows, and animation.
Ireland offers a wide array of tax credits for various forms of entertainment
production activities, including fiction, reality, and animation. This has led to a vibrant film industry in
the Emerald Isle, and increased representation in the worldwide landscape of popular
culture.
Ireland’s rise as a
global production center has come at the expense of the U.S. industry. The number films produced outside of the U.S.
has increased from 33% in 2022 to 45% in 2026.
Talks in Washington D.C. have turned to creating
a national film and television tax credit to push back against
this competition. But legislation may
take time to enact and ultimately alter the trajectory of the ongoing decline.
