The DGA actively worked in many of the 41 states to obtain the production incentives that now exist. DGA continues to work in coalitions and with other partners in numerous states to promote the benefits of film and television production.
In Sacramento, the Guild works closely with the governor's office, the California Legislature and the California Film Commission. The 2009 passage of a five-year, $500 million California tax credit for film and television production was the culmination of a decade-long effort by the DGA and others in the California entertainment community to help keep California competitive.
The California production incentive is scheduled to expire in 2014, and work has already begun to push for the renewal of this very successful program, which as of March 2011 had allocated $300 million in tax credits to 113 film and television productions and generated 41,000 jobs and $2.2 billion in spending, including $728 million in salaries to crew members. DGA members and staff recently testified on behalf of the incentive program at informational state hearings in Sacramento and Pasadena. The Guild will continue to work, together with its partners, to ensure that California remains competitive.
In New York, the DGA worked closely with its partners to ensure the renewal of the hugely successful New York tax incentive. In August 2010, legislation was enacted to create an additional pool of funding for the state incentive program, allocating $420 million/year through 2014.
Between the incentives that many states have enacted and the extended and modified federal incentive, filmmakers now have greater options to keep television and film productions in the United States.