SLASH - LOS ANGELES EMBARKS ON ITS OWN INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR STUDIOS

LOS ANGELES EMBARKS ON ITS OWN INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR STUDIOS

With the state of California slashing costs and unwilling to consider expanding tax incentives to filmmakers that would make them competitive with those of other states, the city of Los Angeles has embarked on its own quest for solutions to runaway production. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council adopted a series of recommendations aimed at encouraging Hollywood studios to continue to shoot in Hollywood. As reported by today's (Thursday) Los Angeles Times , the proposals included providing free parking for film crews on city parking lots during after-hours shoots or on weekends and allowing building owners who make their properties available to filmmakers to receive a tax credit. But the recommendations appeared modest to many observers, and some questioned whether they would even be implemented. "Let's see if they follow through," a Teamsters representative told the Times. But City Councilman Richard Alarcón commented, "We are in competition with locations throughout the country as well as Canada, and if we do not fight to keep filming in L.A. it could have a devastating effect on our economy."

08/10/2009