If Louisiana’s tax credits expire, Georgia’s film industry could explode with new TV shows and movies.
Things are not looking to good for the Louisiana’s film industry. With budgetary constraints, the same tax credits that helped Louisiana’s film industry explode may be coming to an end.
According to WBRZ, lawmakers have proposed a cap of $300 million on the amount of tax incentives the state provides to TV and movie producers. However, this is not settling very well with actors and movie producers.
“It’s a little terrifying,” said Ashton Leigh, who’s acted locally for the past six years. “I would probably have to move, as an actress, to Atlanta or something if they did abolish the tax credits.”
Even a cap could be prohibitive to some companies as they plan for future movies.
“We have to know if we’re going to start shooting something one year, two year, three years from now, we have to know that we’re not gonna be stuck in a September, October and be told that, hey all the credits have been used up this year,” said Daniel Lewis, COO of Active Entertainment.
This will most likely lead to an increase in TV shows and movies filming in the state of Georgia boosting the state’s film industry even more. Georgia currently provides a uncapped 30% tax incentive to productions that spend $500,000 or more in the state. Georgia features over 30 TV shows and movies filming in the Peach State including the most watched television series, The Walking Dead. If, Louisiana pulls the plug on their established tax credit system expect more people to move into Georgia and an increase in the number of jobs.
The governor of Louisiana is expected to look over the budget Friday morning. We will keep you updated on the results of the Lousiana Movie Crisis 2015.
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Image Credit: AMC/The Walking Dead (Gene Page)
