California’s Socialist Politicians have all but Destroyed Their Filmmakers

Los Angeles, CA—There are very few TV series and movies being made in California or in greater Los Angeles.   Perhaps they have finally murdered their Golden Goose through excessive taxation.  That’s a strange paradox since liberal Hollywood film industry movers send avalanches of cash to the politicians that demand the most taxes.

They call it Runaway Production when production companies escape heavy taxes and permit fees.  Canada has offered every kind of tax break and incentive to lure filmmakers for decades.

I was absolutely shocked to lean last year that Germany will grant filmmakers nearly $9 million bucks to make at least 25% of a film there!  It is apparently cost effective because movies and TV series provide jobs for productive German taxpayers.

California politicians must schmooze their film industry or lose it.  There are many places in America and foreign nations that welcome the movie industry with tax breaks, perks and major cooperation.  For California's politicians it may already be too late. 

Chicago nickel and dimes filmmakers to death as they over-regulate them.  However any politically Conservative states like Arizona are right to work states and that creates problems for the many unions that represent workers such as the Screen Actors Guild. 

It’s pathetic when production companies find it’s cheaper and easier to pay massive transportation costs to move their talent, writers, and producers sometimes thousands of miles away to save money. 

As a writer, producer and actor I’m personally smitten with the idea of spending months in Europe working on films.  For me that’s already happened twice in recent years. 

The German government paid half of the entire budget for my all time favorite film, Paul Verhoeven’s, Black Book!  I guess some in government have learned filmmakers are great for local economies.

The great German film director, Werner Herzog tell aspiring filmmakers to forge rather than pay local government film permits.  I think he’s on to something!

There are big changes in store for filmmakers.  The equipment is better than ever and far less expensive to make films.  Movie theaters are about to become extinct as the average family now has their own big screen home theaters.