By Robert Goldrich
As earlier reported (SHOOT, 10/28, p. 1), Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said his new administration plans to take proactive measures to help Los Angeles keep and attract more filming. During the first of what will be weekly policy briefings/press conferences, the mayor called for the elimination of filming fees on all city-owned properties. Approval from the Los Angeles City Council is required to bring such a fee waiver to pass.
While Villaraigosa said the cost of waiving such fees is negligible to the city, the move would send a positive message to producers that Los Angeles values the filming biz and the jobs it generates. He described this as a first step to encourage lensing, which is a critical dynamic in the success of the city’s economy. According to figures cited by the Mayor’s Office, film, TV and commercial production contribute more than $25 billion annually to the L.A. area.
Villaraigosa noted that such states as New York, Illinois and New Mexico have enacted pro-filming initiatives and are actively courting production, trying to woo it from Los Angeles. This year alone, 14 states passed new tax incentives or improved on their existing tax benefits in order to draw more production.
“We cannot stand idly by, while other states enact incentives to lure jobs away from California,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “I will be rolling out some policies that will not only keep filming in Los Angeles, but allow it to flourish.”
Though those policies have not yet been publicly defined, word is that tax credits and other film-friendly incentives are being considered. Villaraigosa also expressed support for State Assembly Bill 777, which fell short of needed votes in the Senate during the California legislature’s session which adjourned on Sept. 9. However, there’s talk of reviving the anti-runaway initiative–which would apply to features, TV and commercials–as part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed 2006-’07 state budget, which is scheduled to be first presented in January (SHOOT, 9/23, p. 1).
Per the proposal as it appeared in the text of AB 777, a refundable tax credit of 12 percent would apply to qualified wages, as well as to certain production and post expenditures incurred in the making of commercials in California. The maximum annual amount any company could receive in refundable tax credits for spots is $500,000. The tax credits, if instituted, would apply to new commercialmaking business for California, meaning that the qualifying expenditures for a production house would be those that exceed the amount that the company spent in California during the previous year. The tax incentive program for commercials is tied to annual spending by a company instead of being paid out on a per-project basis.
Steve Caplan, executive VP of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), was encouraged by Mayor Villaraigosa’s comments. “He certainly understands the significance of the industry to L.A.’s economy,” said Caplan of Villaraigosa. “We look forward to working with him. It says a lot that his first public policy press conference addressed filming and reflected his willingness to take a proactive stance on this issue.Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More