Hollywood Is Moving Away from LA—Where Is Everyone Going?
The pandemic changed the way Hollywood works. And where it works.
Over the last 18 months, Hollywood has been dealing with the impact of the coronavirus. Sets have been locked down, stars have gotten sick, and almost every meeting has shifted to Zoom or a phone call.
Amidst all of this, Los Angeles has also undergone a lot of change. Rent was skyrocketing and really came to a head with people losing jobs during the crisis. Homelessness skyrocketed while rent stayed high. Also, many productions left the town in favor of shooting somewhere less expensive. Many states improved their tax credits, and let's be honest, it is much cheaper to live anywhere but Los Angeles.
So where is Hollywood now? The simple answer is "all over."
Back in the day, you had to move to Los Angeles to make a career in the business. Now, it's a little more complicated. You just have to get here for meetings once in a while. And you probably need to be here if you want to write TV, unless your showrunner incorporates Zoom moving forward.
Hollywood has always had a big presence in Georgia, with Marvel and Netflix shooting there extensively. Now people are expanding to Nevada and Texas, taking advantage of the low-income tax and tax credits for shooting. The Carolinas, Utah, Wyoming, and Washington also gather people to work.
With the pandemic not officially over, Zooms and calls really are the current currency. And when people are reading scripts, they don't care if you live in Westwood, they just care if it's good. Many people are using this time to move away from the city itself but still work in the industry. With costs rising here, even executives are moving away to buy houses in surrounding states or near airports with direct flights if they need them. Many creatives are headed out to a place they feel more suits their muse. Or charges them less in taxes.
If you are working in the industry outside of Los Angeles, we want to hear from you. We're gathering stories of people who have moved out or away from Hollywood but are still finding work and making a living. Drop us an email or leave your story in the comments!
