Written by on Jun 3, 2015. Posted in Incentive News

Political satire Veep awarded filming incentive support for California shoot

Award-winning political satire Veep is one of several top-rated TV shows awarded incentive support to relocate its new season to California. The series has spent four years doubling Baltimore for Washington, DC, using Maryland’s 27% TV filming incentive.

California has more than tripled its filming incentive tax credit programme and has allocated nearly USD 30 million to support TV shows that relocate to California from outside the state.

Filming for Veep has yet to be officially confirmed by HBO for relocation from Maryland, but losing the high-profile show will be a blow for Baltimore.

The eastern state now has an annual film fund of just USD 7.5 million and may also struggle to keep the flagship drama House of Cards, which threatened to relocate last year after a protracted film incentive dispute with state authorities.

Nearly 40 TV projects applied for California’s boosted television incentive this year but only 11 have been granted initial approval for tax credit support.

The first application window for the boosted movie production incentive opens on 13 July, with just under USD 50 million available for big-budget features through the new programme.

Just over USD 55 million has been set aside to support new TV shows. This year initial approval has been granted to a TV adaptation of the 1973 dystopian sci-fi Westworld and a US remake of the recent dark British drama Utopia, set to be directed by David Fincher.

“California crews and support businesses will begin to feel the impact immediately as these first 11 projects begin pre-production,” said Amy Lemisch, executive director of the California Film Commission.

“The number of projects planning to relocate to California confirms that our expanded incentive program is already working.”

Boosting the annual film fund is clearly good news for California. However, with the money capped and designated to distinct categories, the state will face an ongoing challenge competing with production hub rivals that offer greater flexibility and more money, especially for big-budget studio films.