Rob Markovich

ALERT TO CALIFORNIA PRODUCERS: Major Film & TV Tax Credit Expansion & Key Dates   California has significantly expanded its Film & TV Tax Credit Program to boost local production and jobs.   Application Windows (Under New CA 4.0 Program): - Television Series (New, Relocating, Pilot, Limited, Recurring): July 7 – 9, 2025 - Independent & Non-Independent Feature Films: August 25 – 27, 2025   AB 132 (Funding) - Approved & Signed: Assembly Bill 132 was signed by Governor Newsom on Friday, June 27th, and takes effect July 1, 2025. - Funding: Annual cap increased from $330 million to $750 million for five years. This makes CA one of the most generous states for capped film incentives.   AB 1138 (Program Changes) - Expected Passage: This companion bill, expected to pass and take effect before July 4th, introduces significant improvements. While not signed as of today, July 2nd, reports indicate it's imminent.   Key Program Changes (Effective July 1, 2025, with AB 1138 passage):   - Enhanced Credit Rates: Base credit jumps from 20% to 35%. An additional 5% uplift (total 40%) for filming outside Los Angeles County.   - Expanded Eligibility (California Spend $1M+):   * Animated series/films   * Multi-camera sitcoms (animated, scripted, large-scale competition shows <30 min)   * Large-scale competition shows   * TV shows with episodes <30 minutes  Exclusions still apply for reality, documentary, game/talk shows, and above-the-line labor.   Workforce & Equity:  - 2% Bonus for Trainees: Additional credit for hiring 1-4 trainees from targeted programs serving underserved communities (in addition to union crew).  - Expanded Reporting: Productions must report ZIP codes and veteran status, in addition to race, ethnicity, and gender, for workforce inclusion. California Tax Credit Refundability (Major Change July 1, 2025):  - All qualified applicants can elect refundability.  - Electing refundability means receiving 90% of the credit paid over five years, regardless of tax liability.  - Non-refundable option still requires CA income/sales tax liability or independent producer transfer option. This significant investment is expected to support 40-50% more jobs, translating to roughly 4,400 to 5,500 new industry jobs, reclaiming California's position as a leading production hub. Entertainment Partners California Film Commission FilmLA California Production Coalition #StayinLA #StayinCA

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Wonderful news for the TV, Film, and Animation Industry in CA... The proposed $750M a year TV & FILM tax incentive has been approved by lawmakers, and a formal vote should be held on Friday. And it doesn't stop here. To reverse the declining industry in CA, The California Film Commission awarded $96 million in tax incentives to 48 films, 43 of which are independent projects, and many working w/budgets no greater than $10 million. https://lnkd.in/g7pc_Ha6

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L.A. sees 16% drop in film & TV shoot days compared to 2024 - new article: https://lnkd.in/gEDn6XFq - plus Los Angeles On-Location Production Down 16.1% In 2025, But California’s Revamped Tax Incentive Helps Fuel Small Growth In Q4 - new article: https://lnkd.in/gEDn6XFq - plus Why film productions are leaving Hollywood | Morning In America - new video: https://lnkd.in/gbr87r_W - Last year’s 19,694 shoot days was the lowest total since 2020, according to the nonprofit FilmLA, which tracks filming in the greater L.A. area - In 2024, that total was 23,480 shoot days - About 13% of the shoot days in the greater L.A. area in Q4 were the result of incentivized productions - Since the program expanded in July, 119 projects have been awarded - Since all approved projects have 180 days after receiving their incentive award to begin production, FilmLA says to expect more movement in the coming months - Cash infusions alone aren’t going to revive Los Angeles’ film & television industry - Local officials have been working to streamline some of the permitting processes, reduce fees, & make the area more accessible for productions

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Breaking: Virgin Music Group closes $775M acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings: A seismic shift in the indie music landscape! After months of regulatory scrutiny and industry debate, Universal Music Group's Virgin Music Group has finalized its purchase of Downtown, bringing together powerhouse platforms like FUGA, CD Baby, and Songtrust under one roof. This serves 5,000+ clients and 4M+ creators across 145 countries. Key Leadership Moves: - Pieter van Rijn (ex-Downtown CEO) → COO of Virgin Music Group - Justin Kalifowitz steps away as founder - Andrew Bergman → Senior Advisor role The Rocky Road: EU regulators probed competition risks, leading to a full divestiture of Downtown's Curve platform. Cleared on Feb 13 – but IMPALA warns of narrowing indie options. This underscores the indie distribution consolidation wave. Artists owning masters? Great. But fewer pipelines to market? A red flag for creator choice. What does this mean for talent managers, indie labels, and emerging artists in India and Dubai? Wider global reach or less competition? Thoughts? #MusicIndustry #IndieMusic #M&A #TalentManagement #MediaBusiness

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The Paramount–Skydance merger isn’t just about a new owner. It’s a new operating system. With the $8 billion deal now closed, Skydance officially takes control of Paramount Global—ending Shari Redstone’s reign and decades of family-led media ownership. Skydance is backed by private equity and tech capital. The people now calling the shots aren’t legacy studio execs—they’re founders, financiers, and efficiency strategists. Hollywood’s old guard is being replaced by teams who think more like Silicon Valley than old-school Hollywood. This marks the end of legacy studio dominance—and the rise of tech-first, globally scaled media brands. Skydance doesn’t just want to own content. It wants to rebuild the machine—from production to platform—using data, IP strategy, and leaner ops. This will reshape what gets made, who gets hired, and how content is monetized. The future of media is no longer controlled by families, creatives, or moguls. It’s venture-backed, algorithm-aware, and consolidation-driven. A new Hollywood is being coded. And it looks nothing like the one it just replaced.

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PRODUCER - Maker Machina & CREE8 Announce Strategic Partnership at NAB Show Las Vegas 2025 Revolutionizing Media & Entertainment with Seamless, Cloud-Powered Workflows. Las Vegas, NV – 7 April 2025 – In an exciting collaboration, PRODUCER & CREE8 are joining forces to announce a strategic partnership at NAB Show 2025. This partnership unites two of the most innovative startups in the Media & Entertainment industry, delivering a streamlined, cloud-powered ecosystem that accelerates workflows from pre-production to post-production. The alliance between PRODUCER, leading project management and collaboration platform, and CREE8, the next-generation cloud-based workstation and storage solution, will provide creators, studios, and enterprises with unparalleled efficiency in managing and executing projects. By integrating PRODUCER’s top-of-funnel project workflow tools with CREE8’s cutting-edge cloud editing infrastructure, media professionals will be able to seamlessly transition from planning to execution — without bottle-necks,data silos, or costly local workstations. This collaboration will allow users to: - Seamlessly manage creative projects: PRODUCER’s workflow tools will now connect directly to CREE8’s high-performance storage. - Instantly spin up remote editing environments: Users can launch high-performance GPU-powered workstations in CREE8 and share deliverables directly to PRODUCER. - Enhance real-time collaboration: Integrated shared storage, metadata tagging, and CREE8’s live collaboration tools will ensure seamless file sharing and review processes between platforms – no downloads, no file transfers. - Accelerate content delivery: AI-innovations and automation tools will optimize media workflows, reducing production timelines. “This partnership represents a paradigm shift in how creative teams manage and execute media projects,” said Lisa M. Watts, Co-Founder & CEO of CREE8. “By integrating PRODUCER’s robust project management tools with CREE8’s cloud infrastructure, we are unlocking a new era of efficiency and innovation for content creators.” “PRODUCER has always been about making creative collaboration seamless. This partnership with CREE8 will allow our users to not only manage projects but execute them with industry-leading performance,” Xaver Walser Co-Founder & CEO at PRODUCER. “We are excited to bring this solution to the NAB audience and beyond.” CREE8 powers global content production with centralized, secure, and scalable workflows (SOC2 & TPN certified). Visit booth #SL9823J at NAB Show Creator Lab. PRODUCER - Maker Machina is the enterprise production management tool for content teams, streamlining workflows from development to distribution. #NABShow2025 #MediaAndEntertainment #CloudWorkflows #CreativeCollaboration #ContentCreation #FilmTech #PostProduction #RemoteEditing #ProjectManagement #DigitalProduction Lisa M Watts 🔜 NAB Show, Ali Mackani, Eli Weisman 🔜 NAB Show, Paul-Emile Joëssel

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Over the past week, I’ve had several colleagues reach out after being impacted by the shutdowns at Paramount and Lionsgate, from both the network side and the production side. Many are now asking the same question: “What does my path forward look like in 2026?” Do you try to find another job at a network or a prodco? You can, but those opportunities are becoming fewer and farther between. The ecosystem is changing faster than the roles within it. Here’s what I’ve seen firsthand over the last 5 years, moving from traditional television to e-commerce to creator-led media: The dollars haven’t disappeared. They’ve shifted. Brands are becoming studios. Creators are becoming studios. And they’re both building faster than traditional media can right now. If you’re a producer, an editor, or a creative... someone who knows how to develop programming and make things happen, there are more paths forward than you might realize. Follow creators you respect. Study their audience. Develop ideas for them and reach out to them directly. The creators I work with have to ideate constantly. They have to shoot, edit, post, and repeat. Every. Single. Day. And most do it with tiny teams... or by themselves. They aren’t looking for resumes filled with networks. They’re looking for people who understand their content, their audience, and how to help them grow. I’m not saying go pitch MrBeast. But there are thousands of creators, mid-size and rising, who need producers and editors with exactly the skillsets traditional TV built for decades. If you’re feeling unsure about what’s next: Your experience still matters. The industry just looks different now. And there’s a massive opportunity waiting for those willing to adapt to it.

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