With film and TV production picking up across the mid-Hudson Valley with projects from HBO, Apple TV+, Netflix, A24 and several independents, it’s clearer than ever that direct spending from these projects results in jobs for local cast and crew members, vendors, hotels, caterers, and more. Location fees and soundstage use bring in additional revenue.
An Assembly Bill was reintroduced in the 2021 legislative session under a new print number: A3553.
Assembly Bill A3553 Repeals the Empire state film production credit and the Empire state film post production credit
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
All members of the Senate welcome legislative feedback from constituents at nysenate.gov or nyassembly.gov/mem.
When you use the New York State Senate and Assembly websites to officially support or oppose this bill, your feedback will be shared directly with your senator or ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
The Hudson Valley Film Commission supports the Empire state film production credit and the Empire state film post production credit. We know from experience over the past 21 years, that without these credits, production related jobs disappear overnight. The credits were first established by Governor Pataki and they remain a non partisan issue that results in massive revenue for New York State.
It's important to remember that production credits only qualify for BELOW-THE-LINE expenses. Production credit dollars DO NOT subsidize actors, directors, producers, writers or any ABOVE-THE-LINE ‘creative’ expenses. For specific info about qualified expenses, visit Empire State Film Production Credit.
Film and TV productions offer good salaries, benefits, and indirect revenue that comes from productions traveling to a region. Indirect revenue includes local shopping by guests, local investments, new businesses and house sales to industry members moving to the region.
Competition from other states (and countries) for billions in production revenue is fierce, and it's clear that the The 5% drop in the Empire state film production credit had a negative impact. The Hudson Valley recently lost productions to Alabama, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington state. Those projects would have hired well over 250 people for up to a year. Three of those projects were TV shows that would have lasted a year or more.
Luckily, our region has three productions currently working. That creates local revenue and JOBS.. The alternative for local crew and vendors is unemployment or traveling to other states for work. That potential hardship should not be minimized. We prefer to have gainfully employed local industry members so they can in turn, pay property taxes, school taxes, income tax, sales tax, etc.
The bottom line is that producers consider states that offer film production and post production credits before they commit to spending dollars and hiring cast, crew and vendors in those regions. The tax credits also drive investors to financing potential projects.
Please contact your State Representatives and let them know that the Empire state film production credit and the Empire state film post production credit are essential.
To find your representatives, visit
State Senators at https://www.nysenate.gov/senators-committees
or
Assembly Members at https://nyassembly.gov/mem
The bill was introduced by Stephen Hawley - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Stephen-Hawley
and co-sponsored by the following Assembly Members:
Jake Ashby - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Jake-Ashby
William Barclay - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/William-A-Barclay
Ken Blankenbush - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Ken-Blankenbush
David DiPietro - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/David-DiPietro
Christopher Friend - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Christopher-S-Friend
Jodi Giglio - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Jodi-Giglio
Michael Montesano - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Michael-Montesano
John Salka - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/John-Salka
Robert Smullen - https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Robert-Smullen