Minisode - The Fight For Production to #StayinLA
It’s no secret that, over the past decade, film and television production has been slowly leaving our hub of Los Angeles. From astronomical permit costs to uncompetitive tax incentives, studios have outsourced LA’s most valuable export to places like Atlanta, Vancouver, Australia, and South Africa. The COVID pandemic exacerbated the production exodus. But for some, the final straw came with the devastation caused by the Palisades and Eaton fires. Thousands of families lost their homes, and our local crew members were no exception. With the fires still burning, filmmakers began organizing amongst themselves to fight the good fight - to keep production in LA and, in the process, bring jobs back to the people who need them the most. That brings us to today’s very important episode. I got to sit down with Sarah Adina Smith and Alexandra Pechman, the two filmmakers helming the #StayinLA movement. At the time of this recording, their petition to keep production in LA has garnered just over 20,000 signatures. We discuss the impact of the production exodus, the civic responsibility on the studios’ shoulders to keep our LA neighbors working, and specific action items for anyone who wants to get involved, starting at the local level. Please consider adding your name to the petition and helping the cause by visiting stayinla.org.