Currently, a very large amount of unscripted programming is being shot and edited outside of California and outside of the U.S. as a whole.  And more alarmingly, the trend is growing.  There is a film tax incentive being proposed and debated in the state capital that still EXCLUDES unscripted programming.  If you're curious, here's a list (in progress) that's been crowd-sourced to get a bird's eye view of the whole problem.  I think you will find it alarming.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-5INyaMfiYvttgdKBg7edeTl98y13KbPNWU1ePEuopU/edit?gid=0#gid=0

If you are an unscripted worker living in California, then your career is at stake.  When a production takes a tax incentive from any state or nation, it agrees to hire a certain amount of local production and post employees for the show.  If you've been out of work more than usual over the last few years, then this is a BIG reason why.  Because guess what, there IS work, it's just not being done by you.  And it has nothing to do with who the show is marketed to, your skill level, experience, or connections.

There has been NO AMMENDMENT to the bill to include unscripted programming, and absent your protest, it doesn't look like there will be one.  If the California Film Tax Incentive is not modified to be competitive with unscripted production, you can bet that all networks who have championed offshoring your work will be giving themselves a big pat on the back for being ahead of the curve.  The California talent would prefer to be here, the California crew would prefer to work here.  And we all would love to continue our careers.  

Please sign this petition so we can present it to the California State Legislature if you agree.

Also, reach out to your rep directly.  They are debating and amending the bill now! https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJRrx1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYun3vFQaS4MlDMNorhzZdS1dcUB2z5rIGeoeSzIY0pJC66byNGwvvPy6g_aem_t6DD8YLNmQ_VbbHSsRgM5A

 

*****UPDATE 03/26****

As posted in the following Variety article from today.  The only genre of unscripted that qualifies are "large scale competition shows with a budget of over 1 million."  However this excludes MOST of the shows being off shored.  Game shows.  Which these days are big primetime productions that get great ratings.  Also those glitzy dating shows that run season after season and can be shot anywhere in the world!  We're still saying no to them.  I am reaching out to my representatives to try and find the reason for this.  I encourage you too as well.  These shows employ lots of people with good wages.  There's no good reason California should intentionally push away that business.

https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/california-film-credit-35-percent-animation-sitcoms-1236348602/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJRq7lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQWoEkADIE1tXP7Li2Sy_5zKP8lD5Xe0fDub1mFT7_nZjAyxIU3vEUyaZA_aem_2fEAXzrVssAvuIGEZfwOdw#recipient_hashed=9c09cde93175db8a7ad7369f242a64ead8f8673ad1a2601f490207d252334e3a&recipient_salt=a1705f9fc5ff7a9a07d9b40e846cbaed9704312d83bf6644e578b0e2dce40491&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=newsalert&utm_content=595998_03-26-2025&utm_term=281190?utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=1743008026-Breaking+News+Alert&utm_content=595998_3-26-2025&utm_id=595998

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*********UPDATE: 03/31/25********

As it currently stands, the current proposed bill SB630, which is dated February 20, excludes most of all unscripted television.  

PAGE 9:  (ix)  For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and only for purposes of the credit allowed in subdivision (k), a large-scale competition show, not including traditional reality, game shows, talk shows, or documentary television programming, that is produced in California, with a minimum production budget of one million dollars ($1,000,000).

 

MY PROPOSAL:
Traditional reality, game shows, talk shows, or documentary television programming shall qualify for a relative portion of the credit upon reaching the 1,000,000 dollar benchmark per qualified entity.  The qualified entity shall receive additional relative portions of the tax credit per each 1,000,000 dollars spent on such programming over the course of the year.

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In a nutshell, what I’m trying to say is that most forms of unscripted programming are not going to spend $1,000,000 per episode.  So, for these genres which are leaving California in a big way, let’s incentivize the studio to bring as much of their unscripted content back here to qualify for as much of the credit as possible.  Fox could bring one game show to California that spends $7,500.000 and qualify for $7,000,000 worth of the credit.  Or they could bring ALL of their game shows back, let’s say spend $26,500,000 per year and receive $26,000,000 worth of the credit.  This method ensures that unscripted content can have a large economic footprint for the California entertainment industry.

                This method also future-proofs the rise of Youtube, who’s content is vastly unscripted.  Just today, Variety reported that Youtube is the new king of content with a total valuation of 550 billion dollars.  Its creators are becoming full fledged production studios.  By restructuring the bill in this way, we are incentivizing the future of media to do business in California.

                If you’re reading this, then know that I can’t get this message out alone.  Please share with your representative and engage.  The bill is being debated and crafted as we speak!