People were worried that Los Angeles might become like Detroit, a city that lost its main industry and became much smaller. This fear was discussed at an important meeting for the film and TV business. The meeting talked about the big decrease in filmmaking in Hollywood and California, and also about trying to get the state to give more tax money to support the industry.

The event on Monday night looked closely at a later stage of making entertainment that is also having problems now: adding music and finishing the work.

It's not an exaggeration to say that if we don't do something, the film and TV industry in California will become like the car industry in Detroit, said Noelle Stehman, who is part of the "Stay in LA" campaign and spoke at the event.

A plan to increase tax benefits for companies is now at a very important stage in the law-making process. California State Senator Ben Allen and State Assemblyman Rick Zbur were there to try and get the votes they needed. A big problem is that some politicians think these benefits are just free money for movie studios and media companies. Allen thinks this idea is completely wrong.

He told the big crowd at Evergreen Studios that film companies don't care where they work; they will work anywhere. He said they are still making shows, and many people don't understand that this problem affects normal workers, because the studio bosses will still be rich.

"This is not a tax gift," Zbur agreed. "This is a program that helps people keep their jobs and stay in their homes. If we don't do this, it will cost a lot more than these tax credits."

He continued, "I say to my colleagues: Why do you think other governments are starting these tax programs for rich people? It's because they make money and because these are jobs people want. Why are we just watching while others take the best jobs we have created here?"

Many people from the film and music industries came to the event, including important leaders like Harvey Mason Jr., Colleen Bell, and Philip Sokoloski. They discussed how more jobs in film and music are leaving Los Angeles and how this affects businesses and the people who work there.

The event happened just hours after FilmLA released its newest data about filming locations. This data showed that the number of days spent filming in the first three months of 2025 was 22 percent less than during the same time the year before.

"These jobs haven't disappeared, they've moved," said ProdPro CEO Alex LoVerde. He explained that the United States is producing 26 percent less since 2022, but Australia is producing 14 percent more.

The discussions about editing and music showed how much these artists have suffered.

The discussion about music and scores was also quite worrying. Music experts Peter Rotter and Jasper Randall, who organized the event, showed that the number of days when music could be recorded for films and TV in Los Angeles has fallen a lot. In 2022, there were 127 days, but this year there have only been 11 so far. They added that recording music costs much less in places like Vienna, Austria (66% less), and Bratislava, Slovakia (90% less).

Karen Baker Landers, who is a sound editor, was one of the people who wanted a special part of the incentive for the work done after filming. She said that other places like New York and Louisiana, and countries like Australia and Spain, have these special parts, and this helps them get film production.

The two-time Oscar winner said that even if movies were filmed in other places, the work after filming, like special effects, sound, and music, was always done in California. But this has changed. These jobs have left California because other places give tax advantages to film companies. He added that this has meant thousands of jobs have been lost in California, not just in the film industry, but also in the businesses that support it.

California's leaders know the situation is serious. Governor Gavin Newsom wants to greatly increase the money available for film and TV projects. Lawmakers are also suggesting two new laws to make the current plan bigger and better. If these laws are approved, they could raise the state's financial help to 35 percent and include short TV shows, cartoons, and some reality shows.

The groups that organized the event on Monday believe these ideas could help, but they won't completely solve the problem.

This event happened as part of a plan with many parts to increase film and TV production in Los Angeles. For example, on April 6th, hundreds of people supported keeping production local at a rally called "Stay in L.A." in Burbank. After that, a politician named Laura Friedman and unions in the industry wrote to a group representing the film and TV companies, asking studios and streaming services to make more content in Hollywood.

But the industry should also find answers from within its own groups. In a meeting, Senator Allen advised unions and artists to talk openly, stating that "difficult discussions are needed between workers and employers." The leader of the music union, Stephanie O'Keefe, agreed, standing up and saying her group was ready to talk.

"I really think the world is watching what California does with these incentives," Landers said. "They know that if we do well, California can be successful again."