Governor John Bel Edwards announced The Ranch Film Studios in St. Bernard Parish will expand Louisiana film production operations under the state’s Entertainment Job Creation Program. Founded in 2014, The Ranch Film Studios provides production services, facilities, offices and sound stages for motion picture production. The studio has hosted the production of major motion pictures, including “Bill & Ted Face the Music” and “Terminator Genisys,” as well as television series, such as Hulu’s “The First” and the new Fox program, “Filthy Rich.”
The company will create 11 new permanent jobs with an average annual salary of $51,818, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the company’s expansion will result in eight new indirect jobs, for a total of 19 new jobs for the Southeast Region.
“Our Entertainment Job Creation Program encourages companies to invest in permanent jobs for motion picture production and other entertainment sectors in Louisiana,” Gov. Edwards says. “As production activity resumes on movie and TV projects, Louisiana remains well-positioned as an entertainment industry destination. Our talented industry workforce will benefit as we continue to create permanent, quality entertainment jobs in our state.”
Signed into law by Gov. Edwards in 2017, the Entertainment Job Creation Program is designed to encourage investment in permanent quality jobs for Louisiana residents engaged in entertainment content creation. For jobs paying $45,000 or more annually, the employer may claim a 15 percent payroll tax credit. That credit increases to 20 percent for new jobs paying more than $66,000 a year. A similar credit was established for music-related companies.
“This expansion brings my partner Sidney Torres III and me one step closer to realizing the filmmaking center and cultural arts hub we envisioned when we opened The Ranch Film Studios’ doors in 2014,” CEO Jason Waggenspack said. “We are excited to be able to continue growing and creating permanent well-paying jobs and building the infrastructure to better serve our clients. At The Ranch, we believe everyone has a story, and with technology constantly evolving new ways to capture those stories, our plan is to be at the forefront of providing a space for those stories to be realized.”
Louisiana created modern-era film production tax incentives in 2002 and remains one of the leading destinations for motion picture production in the world. The industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars every year in project-based spending across the state, from episodic TV productions to feature films.
The film industry continues to permeate the New Orleans landscape. Recently OffBeat profiled Artisound Productions who have been hard at work producing film scores and students in UNO’s Film Department who are documenting the Baton Rouge hip hop scene.
Explore jobs in the Louisiana entertainment industry here.
