The U.S. film and television industry is weathering one of its toughest periods in decades. After pandemic shutdowns, labor strikes, corporate consolidation, shrinking production slates, and a singular focus on cost-cutting, many large-scale studio productions have gone abroad in search of the “best deal.” A recent Wall Street Journal article describes the impact of this in Georgia. At the same time, independent filmmaking — historically a core driver of domestic production work — has been underfunded and structurally unsupported.
This has left many U.S. film commissions scrambling to justify their value. Every state has glossy location reels, slick marketing decks, and beautifully produced “fam tours” to lure executives. We all boast about world-class crews and award-winning track records. But in the current climate, none of that seems to matter if you can’t answer one question fast enough:
“How much?”
The Incentive Arms Race Isn’t Sustainable
Incentives and local production support have always gone hand-in-hand. A large rebate is meaningless if you don’t have experienced crews, vendors, and infrastructure to execute the work. But lately, the industry is treating incentives like the only variable that matters.
Take a recent example: a well-known novel by an Oregon author was adapted for film. It was set in the Willamette Valley and Central Coast. The attached director had a history of shooting in Oregon. The budget landed in Oregon’s “mid-indie sweet spot.” And yet, the production never even officially called our office. It went to a small European country offering a 40% rebate — without so much as a conversation about Oregon’s 25% cash rebate, which pays out within weeks rather than months.
This isn’t an isolated case. It’s a symptom of a global race-to-the-bottom incentive model that certain states can’t ever win. As Jeremy Burke from the Paley Center for Media recently noted, “this experience is a reminder that tax incentives can ignite rapid growth, yet those gains can also quickly disappear when studios find cheaper options.”
Oregon’s Legacy: More Than a Rebate Percentage
For over a century, Oregon has nurtured groundbreaking, independent-minded productions. These include, Sometimes a Great Notion (Paul Newman), Drugstore Cowboy (Gus Van Sant), Leave No Trace (Debra Granik) and Pig (Michael Sarnoski), just to name a few from our 600+ #OregonMade title library.
We’ve also built programs that invest directly in local talent, training, and crew development — the kind of infrastructure that sustains an industry long after a single production wraps. This year, two Oregon-grown films — Trash Baby and Paradise Records — earned major attention at SXSW and Tribeca.
Our rebate isn’t just competitive — it’s fast, predictable, and cash-based, often delivering funds within 4–8 weeks of audit. For medium-budget projects, that speed can save tens of thousands in financing costs, interest reserves, and audit delays.
The True Value of Customer Service
Raising Oregon’s incentive to 35% or 40% might win a few bids. But it would also drain limited annual funds, forcing us to support fewer projects — and likely triggering an unsustainable rebate arms race with neighboring states.
Instead, we focus on something money can’t always buy: responsiveness, predictability, and trust.
- No complex tax-credit brokering.
- No year-long waits for payment.
- A proven record of repeat producers returning because they know we deliver on our promises.
When you factor in Oregon’s seasoned crews, easily accessible locations, and the reduced friction of filming here, our 25% cash rebate can be worth significantly more than a 40% headline rate elsewhere.
A Challenge to Producers: Look Beyond the Percentages
If you’re weighing production options, ask the hard questions:
- How quickly will you actually see your rebate?
- What financing and conversion costs are hidden in the process?
- How much of your cast, crew, and gear will you need to fly in — and at what cost?
- How many bureaucratic layers will your payment pass through?
Money matters. But so do timelines, efficiency, and peace of mind. Great movies are made by great crews working in great locations — not by spreadsheets alone.
Read more:
Recent & Current Productions in Oregon