WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes to affect film business in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- While Pittsburgh has become a hotbed for Hollywood filmmakers in recent years, two major film industry strikes could be shuttering production in our region at least for the foreseeable future.
From the hills of Hollywood to the mountains of western Pennsylvania, the work stoppages taking place in the entertainment industry can be felt across the country and here at home. It could mean a loss of revenue for many.
With the Writers Guild of America on strike and the Screen Actors Guild unanimously voting to recommend a strike, production in the film and television industry on scripted projects is going dark.
Here in Pennsylvania, that could mean a big loss of money for the almost 10 productions that call the region home each year.
Dawn Keezer, the director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, says that the productions that come here employ thousands of people and pump lots of money into the local economy.
"Southwestern Pennsylvania's film industry is a huge economic generator for the entire Commonwealth," Keezer said. "In a typical year, we are bringing in at least $150 million of new money into the region's economy. We have been on a great role with multiple TV series shooting simultaneously and with every single one of them having plans to return."
Those shows include, "Mayor of Kingstown," "American Rust" and "A League of Their Own," and Keezer went on to say the region is in the top 10 for places Hollywood wants to film thanks to the state's $100 million tax incentive, but she said it won't be lights, camera, action here in the region while there are strikes happening.
"Unfortunately, with the works stoppage, everything has come to a halt and until that's fixed, we don't see anyone going back to work any time soon," she explained.
Keezer also said that no matter how long the work stoppage is, the industry is just too big here not to resume at full strength once these strikes are over. She said that that is good news for the new jobs program the film office has put forward and for the new soundstages being built near the old Carrie Furnace site.
"We are too big," Keezer said. "We're growing. We have this amazing workforce training program that we have launched called Create PA and we are training people to work in this industry, cause we know these are jobs here, they are good family-sustaining jobs for the future. We are building a soundstage in Rankin, hopefully breaking ground the next eight to 10 weeks on that one, and that is going to be one of the first purpose-built stages that are set up to work with this new technology that you see happening."
While there are a lot of unknowns going into the future with these work stoppages, one thing is certain: these strikes will not be a curtain call for the local film and television industry here in Pittsburgh, but it may be a long intermission.
