Fires, strikes and the pandemic hurt Hollywood production. Now, industry workers are asking for help.
Hundreds of film and television workers packed into a building in Los Angeles' Sun Valley neighborhood on Sunday to rally for renewed investment in Hollywood.
LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of film and television workers packed into a building in Los Angeles' Sun Valley neighborhood Sunday to rally for renewed investment in Hollywood.
The event was part of a grassroots movement pushing for studios to bring production back to Los Angeles after the city suffered a series of setbacks in recent years, including devastating wildfires, Hollywood labor strikes and the lasting ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic.
From actors to production assistants to makeup artists and prop makers, at least 1,000 people showed up to the “Stay in LA” campaign’s first public rally to cheer on efforts to expand film and TV tax credits and make filming in Los Angeles more affordable.
At SirReel Studios, an equipment rental agency for film and TV productions, a mix of industry workers and local politicians took the stage as they called for further support from state lawmakers.
“People are struggling. Rents went up; groceries went up. But the only thing that’s not going up are the jobs, the paychecks. The jobs that people are looking for … they’re gone,” Alex Aguilar Jr., principal officer of LiUNA Local 724, said before the crowd. “We get calls every day from people being out of work: ‘How can I pay my rent? I don’t have any benefits for my wife, for my kids.’”
Rating: 5