The state of California has expanded its tax incentive program for audiovisual production. For the first time, television animation series are eligible to apply for these credits, a category that was previously reserved for live-action projects. In this round, two animated series have been selected, representing a local investment and the creation of hundreds of jobs. This move aims to retain production within the state.
A boost for local technical infrastructure 🏗️
The inclusion of animation recognizes its intensive production process, which goes beyond voice and script. It requires teams of artists, animators, digital lighting and compositing technicians, who work with specialized software and hardware. By incentivizing this work to be done in California, a technical ecosystem is strengthened that might otherwise migrate. This can influence pipeline decisions and the location of post-production and visual development studios.
Cartoons that now save the budget (and the state) 💰
It seems that drawn characters have finally achieved the same fiscal status as their flesh-and-blood colleagues. While a real actor demands a trailer, an animated character only requires a few more pixels of resolution. It's curious to think that the state now pays to keep artists in front of screens, preventing them from going elsewhere to draw. Perhaps it's the first time a tax credit depends on someone rendering a hair texture on time.