The topic of runaway film production is nothing new. We’ve been talking about it here in the Valley, across the state, and even at the national level, for more than a decade. So when are we going to stop talking and commit to action? Hopefully, very soon. Billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs are at stake. Kudos to San Fernando Valley Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, the lead sponsor of a bipartisan bill to extend the state’s film tax incentive program for another five years. The bill has 18 co-authors including four principal co-authors: Assemblymember Mike Gatto, Senator Fran Pavley, whose districts include several cities within the greater San Fernando Valley, and Assemblymembers Betsy Butler and Nora Campos. The measure could go before the full Assembly for a vote by the end of the month. And it’s important that the ball keep rolling forward from there from a practical standpoint — keeping filming and jobs here in the Valley — as well from a public relations perspective. What message are we sending those who work in this vibrant industry if we let the program fall away? “Go ahead and leave.” They have and they will. What message are we sending other states? “Go ahead and take ‘em.” Many have gone and more will follow. In our Entertainment Special report, Reporter Mark Madler outlines, anecdotally, the impact that the loss of production and post-production jobs has on the Valley region and its largest industry (see page 26). No one tracks this data, but observations from those in the entertainment industry are overwhelmingly consistent: people are moving every day. In our report, we also introduce you to four Valley production workers — among those whose jobs may depend on this legislative measure. In a statement about the legislation, Assemblymember Fuentes called the film and television tax credit program “a statewide economic stimulus package.” He said, “With the state’s unemployment rate hovering around 12 percent, we need to extend this targeted incentive to help keep Californians employed. Extending this program will prevent production companies from moving their projects, jobs and spending out of California.” We couldn’t agree more. And here in the Valley, where a substantial workforce lives and works, it’s scary to think about what will happen if the runaway movement starts to accelerate. To be sure, this measure comes at a hefty cost — an estimated $500 million — at a time when the California budget is facing a $15.7 billion deficit. But we will be abandoning our entertainment industry roots and our future if we continue to allow film and TV business to flee. A recent study by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) showed that the first two years of the program generated $3.8 billion dollars in economic activity statewide, created more than 20,000 jobs and over $200 million dollars in tax revenues. The report also found that for every tax credit dollar allocated so far, there has been more than $20 pumped into the state’s economy. The program, started in 2009, specifically targets productions that are the most likely to leave the state due to incentives being offered in other states and countries. It offers a 20 percent credit for TV movies, mini-series and feature films with budgets up to $75 million and a 25 percent credit for TV series that move into California from out of state. So far, $400 million in tax credits has been allocated to eligible film and television productions. On June 1, the California Film Commission, which administers the program, begins accepting applications for the final $100 million allocated. If the pending bill dies, the program dies with it in July 2013. That would be a blockbuster fail of epic proportions.