Tag Archives: music scoring

LA Times: Hollywood musicians are backing a new bill that seeks to stop runaway film scoring

The livelihoods of Hollywood musicians have long been under siege as major movie and TV productions continue to outsource scoring to other states as well as abroad.

Local instrumentalists have tried pressuring the major studios to bring more scoring back to Los Angeles and many are backing a new state bill from Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon (D-Whittier) that would increase tax credits doled out to movie productions that choose to do their music scoring in California.

On Saturday, musicians will step up their protest by staging a free concert at L.A. City Hall, starting at 10:30 a.m. The event is designed to raise awareness of the state bill and bring attention to the issue of runaway scoring. Continue reading →

Variety: Musicians’ Union Backs Legislation to Return Scoring Jobs to L.A.

DAVID HARTLEY/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

by Jon Burlingame, Variety

Work for Los Angeles studio musicians continues to decline as production companies find cheaper alternatives elsewhere, so musicians’ union executives are backing California legislation designed to provide financial incentives to return film- and TV-scoring jobs back to Hollywood.

Assembly Bill 1300, the “Music Scoring Tax Credit Bill,” recently introduced by Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon, would offer a 30 percent tax credit to U.S. productions made in foreign countries, as well as for low-budget films, that use California musicians. Union officials believe that passage could mean millions in regained wages for studio players. Continue reading →

Musicians Target Offshoring to Bring Jobs Back to California

AB 1300 will expand domestic film and TV music scoring by boosting state tax credit for foreign productions

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 13, 2017) — As California suffers an exodus of film and television music jobs, musicians are battling offshoring head-on with a new bill that would boost the state tax credit for foreign productions.

AB 1300, recently introduced by Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon, would bring the success of the California Film & TV Tax Credit Program to musicians and the scores that are an integral part of every motion picture and TV project. Continue reading →

Film & TV Tax Credits Fact Sheet: What they are and what they mean for California musicians

What are film/TV tax credits?

Movie and television incentives are tax benefits offered by many regions in the U.S. and abroad to encourage film/TV production in that region. These incentives began in the U.S. in the 1990s in response to the flight of movie productions to countries such as Canada. Today, these tax incentives are offered by countries around the world, and most states in the U.S. such as California, New York, Louisiana, New Mexico, Virginia, Georgia and Ohio.

How have tax credits impacted the industry worldwide?

Tax credits — whether they’re in California or any other state, or abroad — have become part and parcel of film and television financing. Financiers of a film or television project will look to maximize tax credits wherever they can in order to subsidize the production budget. It’s often said that now, when a film or TV show is being planned, the first very conversation is about the location of available tax credits! In general, tax incentives do not create NEW employment; instead they shift jobs from one state or country to another. As the number of tax credit programs around the world has grown, the number of films released to wide distribution each year has remained steady (or even shrunk). Continue reading →

AB 1300: Let’s bring music-scoring jobs back to California!

What is AB 1300?

Introduced in April 2017 by Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon, AB 1300 – the Music Scoring Tax Credit – would implement a long-sought system for supporting film and television music scoring jobs in California by bringing overseas scoring home. The bill is aimed at bringing the success of our California film and television tax system to musicians and the scores that are an integral part of every film and TV project.

How would it work?

Foreign productions: The bill would provide a 30% credit for motion pictures shot outside of North America employing 35 or more musicians and completing at least 75% of the scoring in California.
Low-budget provision: Projects $5 million or under — regardless of filming location — employing nine or more musicians and completing at least 75% of the scoring in California would also qualify.

Continue reading →