Steve Hilton’s Plan to Revive and Grow California’s Film and Television Industry

The Problem

California invented the entertainment business. Hollywood became the global center for film and television, supported by world-class talent, crews, studios, and infrastructure.

But that advantage is slipping away.

Production is leaving California for states and countries offering better incentives, lower costs, and more predictable systems—including Georgia, New York, New Jersey, New Mexico, Canada, the UK, and Australia.

This is not about celebrities—it’s about jobs. Thousands of middle-class workers depend on the industry:

• Camera operators
• Electricians
• Editors
• Set builders
• Drivers
• Costume designers
• Small businesses supporting production

When productions leave, those jobs leave too.

The damage is already clear:

• Roughly 51,000 jobs lost in three years
• Soundstage occupancy in Los Angeles has dropped from over 90% to about 62%

The lights are literally going out in Hollywood.

Why This Is Happening

California has fallen behind competitors that offer:

• Stronger, more flexible incentives
• Faster approvals
• Greater certainty for producers

While California increased its tax credit program to $750 million annually, the system still has major flaws:

• Rigid application windows
• Complex categories
• Limited access for smaller productions

Other regions operate faster, simpler, and more competitive systems—often without caps.

California is still acting like Hollywood has nowhere else to go. It does.

The Goal

Restore California as the best place in the world to make film and television—Bring Hollywood Home.

The goal is not nostalgia—it’s economic reality.

By the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, California should reestablish itself as the global center of production.

This means:

• Rewarding productions that hire California workers
• Supporting local facilities and communities
• Competing globally instead of managing decline

The Plan

1. Make California Competitive Again

California must compete globally with stronger, more reliable incentives.

Key changes:

• Move to an uncapped, open production incentive system
• Cover both above-the-line and below-the-line costs
• Include post-production work

This ensures producers choose California because it makes business sense—not because they win a lottery.

The plan also explores:

• Federal tax incentives
• Temporary “kick-start” incentives
• Enhanced incentives for key zones and independent productions

2. Give Producers Clarity and Certainty

Production requires predictable timelines—not bureaucratic delays.

Reforms include:

• Continuous, rolling approval system
• Automatic certification within 30 days
• Streamlined permitting processes

Additional steps:

• Enforce deadlines on agencies
• Refund fees if deadlines are missed
• Appoint a Governor’s Expediter to cut through bureaucracy

No more waiting. No more guessing.

3. Protect Independent and Mid-Sized Productions

Current programs often favor large studios while smaller productions struggle.

The plan will:

• Reserve funding for independent and mid-budget projects
• Ensure smaller producers are not crowded out

A healthy industry needs both major productions and independent creators.

4. Make the Incentive Real

Tax credits must translate into real financial value.

Reforms include:

• Expanding direct rebates
• Improving transferability
• Ensuring credits are usable and bankable

The plan also calls for federal partnership to compete internationally, including:

• National production incentives
• Support for major events (Olympics, World Cup)
• Investment in studio and venue infrastructure

5. Protect California’s Creative Future

The issue isn’t just production—it’s ownership and control.

Independent creators increasingly lose rights and long-term value through financing structures.

The plan will:

• Support creative ownership
• Strengthen independent production
• Work with industry stakeholders to maintain a balanced ecosystem

California should be a place where creators build and own, not just work.

The Bottom Line

Hollywood should not be leaving Hollywood.

California still has:

• The talent
• The workforce
• The infrastructure
• The global brand

What it has lacked is leadership.

Bring Hollywood Home is about restoring:

• Jobs
• Opportunity
• One of California’s defining industries

California invented the entertainment business.

It’s time to win it back.