7 hours Ago By jillg366
Bluebloods line producer Santiago Quinones made the case in Albany that a strong film and television production tax incentive in New York is essential for the state to remain competitive, urging legislators to support enhancements proposed in Gov. Kathy Hochul ‘s new budget. “Normally this time of year, I’m doing multiple budgets and talking to multiple people about certain deals, and that’s not happening,” he told a hearing of the State Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business on Tuesday night.
“I’ve been doing producing in New York for a long time. I’ve been in the film industry for a very long time at this point, and I have never seen the level or the lack of production coming to New York , as I’ve seen in the last, year or so.” Related Stories Improved New York Production Incentives Survive In Tentative Budget Deal, Final Approval Expected Next Week New York State Budget Proposal Boosts Tax Credit, Annual Cap For Film & TV Production, Lures Series From Other States With Added Incentive The co-chair of the New York Film and Television Production Industry Council and Lower East Side native said recently wrapped Blue Bloods filmed 290 episodes over 14 seasons in New York.
“It was 15 years of employment for a lot of folks. I think about 90% of my crew is still calling me looking for work.” Watch on Deadline Covid slammed production, followed by Hollywood strikes that continue to ripple and media companies and streamers retrenching amid industry shifts, high interest rates and inflation.
Producers gravitate to states and countries with the best incentives. New York has a good package but it’s not competitive with Georgia or Canada or even neighboring New Jersey, Quinones testified. Georgia is “sort of the model of what competitive is.
So for a long time, New York became a television town and Georgia became the movie town because Georgia had above-the- line [incentives for] the actors, the writers ...
The business changed fundamentally. We now have streamers that want to have above-the-line, like Sylvester Stallone and big, big names, and so, in order to afford that, they can’t afford to come to a place like New York.” The enhancements, including a new $100 million pool for indie films, would be part of the state’s budget for fiscal 2026 that starts April.
They require legislative approval. More details here on the changes that expand existing incentives, including above-the-line, and speed up the payout. The hearing was broad and production incentives were only one of many topics addressed.
One of the main opponents of the $700 million credit, State Sen. James Skoufis, wasn’t present. Quinones noted one — good middle-class jobs, many unionized, and a boost for fuel local economies, like Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where Blue Bloods was filmed.
Asked if the proposed sweeteners would be enough to draw production, he said yes. All things being equal, “they would come to New York, for crews, for locations ..
. There is no matching New York.” “I’m a New Yorker through and through .
.. and I don’t want to go to Los Angeles to work,” he said.
That’s where the Hollywood studios are based. But California itself has seen so much runaway production to other states and countries that Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a big jump to the incentive from $330 million to around $750 million annually.
Today, the Entertainment Union Coalition launched a campaign aimed at keeping film and TV jobs in California . The California Legislature yesterday introducing a pair of bills to bolster Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to expand the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program.
Also this week in New York, owners and representatives of about 20 film and television production sound stages from across the state sent a joint letter to the speaker of the New York State Assembly to express support for the enhancements, calling the tax incentive “an essential component of our industry’s success and a critical driver of economic activity across the state.” “As studio owners, the success of our businesses depends on a vibrant local film and production industry. Our studios provide the space and infrastructure necessary for film productions from big-name blockbusters to independent films, as well as production space for advertising commercials, music videos, independent content” The New York Film Coalition has gathered 750 signatures backing the expanded incentives.
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