'CSI' Hometown Supports Film Industry

A congressman from Santa Clarita, where CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is filmed, recently introduced a bill to Congress which seeks to give tax breaks to projects shot in the United States.

Howard P. McKeon introduced House Resolution 715 to stop the proliferation of so-called "runaway productions" which choose to film in cheaper locales overseas, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. If passed by congress, the bill will give independent productions with payrolls from $200,000 to $10 million a 25 percent tax credit if they film in the United States.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is urging Congress to pass the legislation after an attempt last year to secure a 15% tax credit through the California Legislature failed. "The entertainment industry is an important part of our regional and national economy," said 5th District Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. "We must stop the runaway production that has plagued the industry for several years."

While set in Las Vegas, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is one of many high-profile shows, including JAG and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which film in Santa Clarita, pumping $38 million dollars into the city's economy. If rising costs force any of these productions to move overseas, Santa Clarita, which issues an average of 250 film permits each year, would take a severe economic hit.

Runaway productions have been a problem for the Hollywood film industry for several years now. Film and television projects try to get more bang for their buck by shooting in locations such as Canada or Australia, where production costs are lower. Prominent examples of these runaway productions include Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones and the Matrix films, shot at Fox Studios in Sydney, and several popular television series, including the WB's Smallville and Stargate SG-1, which are filmed in Canada.

The original report can be found here at the Los Angeles Daily News.

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