U.S. Film Industry Stalls as Productions Move Overseas

After the initial Covid-19 shutdown that saw the complete halt of productions around the world, the years after, saw an increase in filming that the film community could barely keep up with. An abundance of productions in New Orleans and Georgia had the industry hiring workers at record numbers.

Then came the Writer’s and Actor’s strike of 2023. The film industry found themselves at an almost complete stop once again. Most workers waited anxiously for six months for a deal to be made and were left with hope that the industry would boom when it was. A promise that they are still waiting to see come to fruition.

The challenges facing the industry are numerous and the answers for the people wondering if they will ever work in film again are uncertain. Streaming exhaustion felt by consumers, studios moving productions overseas, and threats to state tax incentives all contribute to the decline of filming in the United States.

Victor Brunette, who has worked in the industry for 21 years, believes the downfall begin before Covid. It "started many years ago when they stopped making art and just decided to make money. They allowed business people to run studios instead of the creatives."

Now, five years after Covid, many industry workers are still feeling the hits. “Work has been up and down. I've had to travel to different states for work, it's not ideal leaving your family behind.” said Vinay Chand, an 18-year film veteran working in Locations.

Lured by cheaper labor costs, weaker unions, and better tax incentives offered by Europe, Asia, and Australia studios have begun moving productions out of the U.S. Though some feel that the move is more than business. “The studios are punishing us for the strike by moving everything overseas.” Chand said.

Brunette stated that the solution to fixing the decline is a combination of things; not only do unions and studios need to negotiate better agreements for both sides, but the actors need to speak up and "demand that they will not shoot out of the country unless it is warranted for the sake of the story."

Georgia faced a 39% decrease in the number of productions filming in the state going from 228 productions in 2022 to only 139 in 2023. Though 2024 saw a slight increase, the number of productions filmed in Georgia is not the best indicator of the state of the industry. Not all productions film the entirety of the project in the state and may only produce a few days to a few weeks of work.

Data provided by georgia.org

Los Angeles provides a more accurate representation of filming in the city with reports released quarterly that calculate shoot days instead of number of productions. According to Film LA “One “Shoot Day” (or “SD”) is defined as one crew’s permission to film at one or more defined locations during all or part of any given 24-hour period.”  The report for 2024 shows a 36% decrease in shoot days from 2022 to 2024 dropping from 36,792 shoot days to 23,480.

Data provided by FilmLA

Despite the steady decline in filming activities some recent moves by industry professionals provide hope to those patiently waiting. Spectrum FX, a special effects and custom prop manufacturing company made a statement on their website announcing that “beginning in February 2025, the company will bring its award-winning services to the Georgia TV and Film Market, in addition to continuing operations in the New Orleans area.

Video shot by Sarah Monosso. SPFX provided by SpectrumFX for the television show NCIS: New Orleans.

With the New Orleans market being so slow that the official film site does not have any active productions listed, the announcement that Spectrum FX will not only move to Atlanta but continue in New Orleans as well is an optimistic look for the city.

In addition to the Spectrum FX news, it was announced that a new studio, “Studio of the Americas” recently opened in Atlanta, Georgia. A film studio, according to their website, dedicated to providing “the means and the opportunity for the First Peoples of this land to tell their own stories.”

The new studio combined with the 15-year lease that NBC Universal signed with Assembly Studios in Doraville, GA, has some industry workers clinging to the hope that work is going to pick up soon.

Kate Wilcox, who has worked in the industry since 2009, does not feel optimistic about the immediate future of the industry, especially "not in incentive states. For example, Louisiana's incentives are the same or worse than any other state so there would be no reason for a production to shoot there." However, along with "influential entertainment figures speaking out and pushing for (stateside filming)", Wilcox believes a federal incentive program would be a move in the right direction.

Currently, 35 out of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia has some sort of film tax incentive. Georgia leads all major hubs with the most lucrative incentives that come with no annual cap making it the most active filming location in the U.S. Still the lack of work forcing many to reconsider their decades long career is evident.

Data provided by National Conference of State Legislatures 

A tax incentive evaluation prepared by Georgia State University Fiscal Research Center stated that the Georgia tax incentive created 37,000 jobs in 2022 and brought in $290 million in generated revenue.

Film productions employ far more than industry professionals, hiring local police, fire safety officers and security guards for on location filming. They also create financial opportunities for many local business, churches, and citizens by renting parking lots and event spaces, buying food, or paying residents for use of their properties, among many other things. Proving the benefits of having film productions in the community reach farther than just the below-the-line workers on set.

Through the stalling of the U.S. film industry and the continued uncertainty that the future brings, some workers are reluctantly letting go of the hope and preparing themselves for a possible transition out of the film industry. Feeling left behind by above-the-line cast and crew after support during the strikes and the alleged indifference from studios, not all remain optimistic for their future but many still cannot imagine a different direction. Brunette said, "After we have been creating magic and wonder for so long anything else seems pointless."