Written by Tom Deehan on Mar 15, 2016. Posted in General Interest / Production News

Scream Queens to relocate filming to California for better incentive deal

20th Century Fox’s horror-comedy series Scream Queens will relocate production from New Orleans to California, in a bid to obtain the specialised filming incentives that the West Coast state offers for relocating television shows. Scream Queens will now receive up to 25% in transferable tax credits, changing to 20% for any future seasons that continue to film on location in California.

FX’s American Horror Story also made the jump from New Orleans to California for the same incentives package and the film friendly nature of the state. Due to the difference in expenditure of the two shows, American Horror Story will receive USD9.3 million whereas Scream Queens will earn slightly less at USD9.2 million.

Amy Lemisch, Executive Director of the California Film Commission explained: “Our success in helping five existing TV series relocate to California in less than a year illustrates the success we’re achieving with the expanded tax credit program.”

California’s Tax Credit Programme underwent expansion in 2015 when its annual funding was increased to USD330 million, allowing the state to become even more popular as a filming location, particularly in the television industry.

By the end of the current financial year, the Californian film industry will have obtained USD1.7 billion from local spending.

Productions that aren’t relocating TV shows are able to obtain the 25% tax credits incentive but can only do so via uplifts that require specific criteria. These uplifts include filming outside of LA’s 30 mile territory, as well as expenditures on local music recording and post-production work.