Senator Adam Schiff is set to conduct a field hearing this Friday in Burbank, joined by actor Noah Wyle from “The Pitt” and IATSE President Matt Loeb, in an effort to garner support for a federal film incentive.
Schiff will also address the employment implications of the potential merger between Paramount and Warner Bros.
“There are many pressures facing the entertainment industry workforce – from generous tax incentives offered by other countries, to the potential merger of two of Hollywood’s biggest studios,” Schiff stated.
“The Pitt” is frequently cited as a triumph of California’s production incentive program. Although set in Pittsburgh, the show is filmed on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank and has benefited from $24.5 million in state tax credits.
Over the past year, Schiff has been working to secure congressional sponsors for a federal production incentive to complement state-level subsidies. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which stands for 160,000 entertainment workers, strongly supports increased tax incentives to maintain domestic production.
The hearing will also feature Jax Deluca, executive director of the Future Film Coalition, a collective of independent film professionals. This group has initiated a website, BlocktheMerger.com, urging state attorneys general to seek a court order to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.
In a press release, Schiff highlighted the fierce competition faced by the U.S. film and TV industry from foreign countries’ incentive programs.
Schiff had previously discussed this issue with Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, at a Senate hearing in February. Sarandos was in Washington to justify his company’s $83 billion attempt to acquire Warner Bros., which eventually fell through. Paramount is now set to acquire the studio in a deal worth $111 billion.
Currently, no representatives from Paramount or Warner Bros. are scheduled to testify at the Burbank hearing.
“I look forward to hearing directly from industry leaders and experts on the state of the industry, what we need to do to compete, and how this proposed deal would impact workers as we seek to strengthen film and television production in California and the United States,” Schiff expressed.
