California Took Film and TV Industry “For Granted”
Ben Affleck is weighing in on the flight of film and television productions from Hollywood.
The actor and filmmaker took on California’s production crisis in an interview with the Associated Press at The Accountant 2’s red carpet premiere at L.A.’s TCL Chinese Theatre on Wednesday. “I think part of the problem with California is they came to take this industry for granted a little bit,” Affleck said, noting that other jurisdictions offer more favorable exchange rates and tax rebates.
Affleck pointed out that California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a major increase to the state’s cap on its tax incentives program for the film and television industry. But, he said, it’s not in enough to stem the tide of film and TV sets fleeing California and the U.S. in general for savings. “The percentage you get back in terms of actual budget doesn’t compete with places like England, which is why you see a lot of these big, huge movies shoot in the U.K.”
Affleck also mentioned that attractive incentives from states like Georgia, New Mexico, Louisiana, Texas, Massachusetts and New Jersey have drawn projects out of state as studios and streamers chased cost savings in the post-Peak TV landscape. Georgia and New Mexico, for instance, have no annual cap on their incentives programs.
The filmmaker further raised the specter of one of the state’s hallmark attractions for productions — its crew talent — leaving the state altogether. “It’s really the technicians and the crew that make or break your movie,” he said. “You need the best people, you need good people. I, as a director, know that to be true. And so if people move away, you know, that really hurts the industry.”
Despite the barriers that he laid out, at least a couple of Affleck’s recent projects have notably invested in local production. The Gavin O’Connor-directed Accountant 2 shot at least partially in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita. Affleck is also currently filming his upcoming Netflix project Animals, in which he is directing and starring, in the city.
On-location shoot days and levels of soundstage occupancy in Los Angeles have nosedived in recent years, with ramifications for L.A. businesses and crew communities. The downturn has sparked a movement to return production to its cultural home in the U.S. called “Stay in L.A.” and a legislative effort in Sacramento to expand California’s current tax incentives program.
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