What is the new bill Assemblymember Nick Schultz is introducing in California?

Assemblymember Nick Schultz is introducing legislation to create a standalone post-production tax incentive for editing, sound mixing, and VFX work.

Why is California introducing a standalone post-production tax incentive bill?

California is introducing the bill to regain competitiveness with other states and countries that offer attractive post-production incentives, as the state has seen significant job and economic losses in this sector.

What has been the impact of the decline in post-production work in California?

The decline has resulted in an estimated loss of 4,451 jobs and $1.63 billion in annual economic input in California, with a significant drop in payroll employment.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / California Fights to Keep Film Post-Production Jobs

California Fights to Keep Film Post-Production Jobs

5 Feb

•

Summary

A new bill aims to create standalone post-production tax incentives.
California has lost 4,451 jobs and $1.63 billion in economic input.
Other states and countries offer competitive post-production incentives.

California Fights to Keep Film Post-Production Jobs

State Assemblymember Nick Schultz will soon introduce legislation in California to create a standalone post-production tax incentive. This move aims to bring editing, sound mixing, and VFX work back to the state, which has been losing these jobs to other jurisdictions offering such perks.

The initiative follows a successful doubling of California's film and TV tax credit in 2025. The goal is to compete with rivals like New York, Georgia, the U.K., and Australia, which offer competitive post-production incentives.

Data from the California Post Alliance (CAPA) revealed that California's share of U.S. post-production work declined over 11 percent between 2010 and 2024. This led to a nearly 17 percent decrease in payroll employment, while the U.S. overall saw a 2.5 percent increase.