Talk focusing on clarifying or revisiting state movie credit cap
An unnerving lull suddenly gave way to a flurry of film work for Gary Huckabay, who certainly welcomed the production jobs although he believes some of them are overflow projects from Atlanta, Ga.
“We’re still going through the hiccup from the tax credit cap,” Huckabay said of finishing his last project on Sept. 11 and looking forward to a break, but then nervously waiting weeks before the phone ran again. He got calls for several productions, but they’re smaller. He was supposed to be ramping up actor Channing Tatum’s multi-million-dollar “Gambit” movie but it’s on hold until March now. “Georgia is becoming so busy that they can’t handle all the work and it’s got to be overflow coming here.”
Haryl Deason, general manager of Quixote Studios in St. Rose, agreed business is down.
“I think just overall we can see there are a lot less productions in town here than last year at this time,” Deason said. “It’s not nearly as many as there were, but it typically slows down for the holidays.”
Filming is nearly done for the LBJ miniseries at Quixote Studios. Deason said there are a few other prospects in sight, but filmmakers are hesitant because of the uncertainty.
Huckabay said they’re not seeing the usual 15 to 20 movies they’ve seen lined up for the coming year for 2016.
A thriving film industry in Louisiana that contributed to long-desired efforts to diversify the economy is apparently showing signs of softening.
Legislative changes to the state’s generous incentives to this industry included a $180 million cap on the credit, which has exceeded more than $200 million a year in recent years and will reach $308 million in credits as of this fiscal year. How the law will play out is still uncertain, raising threats of litigation and worries it will kill this thriving industry.
Deason said the uncertainty, as much as the credit cap itself, may be having an impact on the people who decide to bring movies Louisiana’s way.
“I’m hearing that we need to do some adjustments to the legislation that came out in June,” he said. “There has to be clarification or separation about the productions prior to the $180 million cap. With more clarification, productions would still come because this amount is nothing to sneeze at.”
Huckabay and others say the work is going to Georgia, which has been courting filmmakers with credits, studios and stability, but they remain hopeful they can regain the industry’s confidence, as well as its business.
“We’re still the second best tax credit option there is even with Kentucky and others with credits,” he said. “They don’t have the crews or infrastructure.”
According to Huckabay, with the Nov. 21 election in sight, a new governor may help restore the multi-billion-dollar industry that has generated more than 50,000 jobs. The Louisiana Film Entertainment Association (LFEA) reports it has boosted the state’s tourism by $4 billion and the number of tourists by 14.5 percent.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the movie credit, Huckabay and Deason remain optimistic about bringing film business back to Louisiana.
Deason said it’s nothing new that productions are going to Atlanta because it has a more defined tax credit program and people are comfortable it will be there a while. But he agreed with Huckabay about why Louisiana remains attractive to film makers.
“We have so much to offer in the film industry with infrastructure, crew base with some of the best in the business and letting the teams do what they do best,” Deason said. “Sort out the legislation and let people go back to the business of making films in Louisiana.”
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