Los Angeles in danger of becoming the next Detroit as film and TV productions move out

Hollywood insiders have warned that Los Angeles is at risk of becoming “the next Detroit” amid fears that the city’s decades-long status as the capital of TV and film could come to a swift end if entertainment productions do not receive immediate tax relief incentives.Amid a sharp rise in the number of celebrities moving out of L.A.to places like Texas and Florida, industry workers have now raised the alarm about the stark decline in the number of entertainment projects being carried out in Hollywood and throughout California.These fears were the focus of an April 14 town hall in which lawmakers and movie producers pushed for changes to the state’s entertainment production tax incentive in order to cover up to 35% of qualified expenditures, while also widening the range of productions that would receive these subsidies.“This is not hyperbole to say that if we don’t act, the California film and TV industry will become the next Detroit auto,” said producer Noelle Stehman, a member of the “Stay in LA” campaign who spoke at the event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Detroit was once seen as America’s auto production hub, with three major car manufacturers headquartered there: General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler (now known as Stellantis).

However, in the 1960s, those companies began moving their factories to the suburbs, taking a huge number of workers — and former Detroit residents — with them.Now, Stehman believes that Los Angeles’ entertainment industry could be going the same way, having already lost major ground to its competitors in recent years.While many entertainment executives live in Los Angeles, state Sen.Ben Allen said this will do little to help the city retain the lion’s share of productions if housing costs in the city are too high for the middle-class worker.“The studios don’t care where they do the work.

They’ll do it anywhere,” he said at the event.“They’re still producing shows.

What a lot of ...