California's expanded $330 million film incentives program hasn't fully kicked in yet, but in its first full year has generated an estimated $1.5 billion in direct in-state spending, including $600 million in below-the-line wages, according to the California Film Commission's latest progress report.

One of the expanded…

California should consider scaling back or eliminating its $330 million film tax incentives program if other states do so, according to a new report from the state Legislature's non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, which found that the first 10 years of the program only boosted the state's economic output by "a…

Disney’s A Wrinkle In Time, directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Oprah Winfrey, and a new Friday The 13th and Private Benjamins will be sharing in the latest round of tax credits handed out by the California Film Commission. Also, having been awarded tax credits earlier in the year and then falling out the program…

California remains the world's top film locale for a third year in a row, though in 2015 for the first time on record the state did not host any of the 25 top-grossing live-action films. The latest production reports released today on film and also TV from FilmLA, the city's film office, are filled with similar…

The third season of American Crime, Season 2 of Rosewood, Season 6 of Veep, newbies This Is Us and Pitch are today among the latest television recipients of California's lucrative tax credits. With the John Ridley-created series relocating from Austin, Texas and getting over $5.2 million, the series were part of the…

California's expanded film incentives program has been great at helping to stem the flow of runaway production but not so great for independent film and TV producers. Indeed, many indie producers are not happy with the new program at all.

"Indie producers are frustrated," said Dama Claire, an incentives specialist at E…

Scream Queens, Amazon’s Good Girls Revolt and the next installment of FX’s American Horror Story are today among the latest recipients of California's lucrative tax credits. The trio were part of the 9 projects that the California Film Commission announced Wednesday (see full list below) will be receiving part of the…

California's new $330 million-a-year tax credit, which was expanded to TV pilots, is paying dividends as the number of broadcast drama pilots filmed in Los Angeles has risen for a second consecutive year. Following the dismal all-time low of five broadcast pilots in 2014, L.A.’s tally went up to seven last year. This y…

On-location filming in Los Angeles grew 1.3% in 2015 compared with the year before thanks to a surge in TV production. The gains, reported today by FilmLA, the city’s film office, comes in a year that saw the implementation of a new $330 million tax-incentives program aimed at luring production back to the state.

Despi…

ABC’s Mistresses, rookie dramas Code Black and Rosewood and the Syfy telepic Sharknado 4 are among the 11 TV projects that received an early Christmas gift from the state of California today. With the program’s heavy emphasis on job creation in the Golden State, the relocation of Mistresses from Vancouver is a very…

With production on the uptick in the home of Hollywood, the second round of those seeking Golden State tax credits for TV saw 32 applications this past week. Unlike the previous small-screen round of May 11-17, within the November 30 to December 6 period, the California Film Commission had five shows apply under the…

Just three days after the latest application period closed for some of the $330 million that the Golden State has allocated for film and television tax incentives, it seems we have some contenders. There were 254 projects submitted for the $55.2 million allocated this round for features films. Of that total, there were…