Culver City has approved a $500,000 film incentive program that Mayor Dan O’Brien calls an effort to “rekindle” production activity in a city that once touted itself as the “Capital of Screenland.”
The package was championed by O’Brien, a longtime film editor and mayor since December 2022. The film industry support package was passed by the Culver City Council on November 10th. The package is billed as a “comprehensive set of measures designed to support the recovery of film and television”, which in turn will attract business and boost the local economy.
“As a film professional for 30 years, I think it’s important to find ways to reinvigorate filmmaking activity in Culver City,” O’Brien said. “I’m proud that our City Council has come together to support a wide range of parts of our economy that impact every part of our community. These measures should increase production and I look forward to seeing the results.”
This is a thorough checklist for studios and production companies looking to cut costs wherever possible. The legislation includes temporary incentives for film license fees, free production parking, the creation of a film-specific business directory, and a resolution to extend the moratorium on business taxes “for touring film and television producers” through 2036. The city is capping the total amount of incentives at $500,000. They want to make money on movies, but they can’t afford to lose money.
The city has also launched a public awareness campaign to introduce the incentives and is partnering with FilmLA to develop acquainted tours of film locations.
Culver City hopes the incentives will attract new productions and preserve existing ones. We also hope that, in the long term, these rules will support student films and small projects and provide essential support for the work of the creative sector. Culver City was historically the home of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the most prosperous and influential studio of Hollywood’s Golden Age of the 1930s and 40s. Currently, Sony Pictures Entertainment is located on the MGM property. Amazon, Apple, and Warner Bros. Discovery also have media and content businesses in this space.
“The incentives announced by the City Council are a great start to revitalizing film production in Culver City. A robust film community like Culver City cannot and should not wait for the state of California to save us from runaway productions. We need to save ourselves, and these incentives are definitely a good start,” said Dan Mirvish, an independent filmmaker and Culver City resident.
Big changes in Hollywood, consumer tastes, and the film and television business model have sharply reduced lens sales activity in Los Angeles County, a situation that was temporarily exacerbated by January’s wildfires. California expanded its film and television tax credit program this year, increasing the statewide incentive to $750 million annually through 2030.
