Opinion: LA Film Production Decline Requires Immediate Policy Action

A New York Post opinion piece argues that Los Angeles is facing an existential crisis in film and TV production, warning that without urgent structural intervention, Hollywood’s dominance as a production hub could be permanently lost.

The piece highlights the ongoing erosion of local production driven by aggressive incentive programs in competing states and countries, rising costs, and labor pressures — factors that have pushed shoots out of Southern California at an accelerating pace.

For working crew based in LA, this reflects a reality already felt on the ground: fewer shooting days locally, longer commutes or extended travel to work, and a thinning of the below-the-line job market in what was historically the world’s busiest production market.

The argument centers on California needing to dramatically expand and reform its film tax credit program to compete with states like Georgia, New York, and New Mexico, as well as international jurisdictions including the UK, Canada, and Hungary.

Note: This is an opinion piece, not a policy announcement. No new legislation or credit expansion has been confirmed. However, it reflects a debate that directly shapes where productions are greenlit and where crew find work.