MAKE | IN AMERICA

Who We Are

For more than a century, American film and television set the global standard – powered by American workers, American creativity, and American communities.

But foreign subsidies have devastated the industry, driving production overseas, and taking 2.3 million American jobs with it.

The Make Movies in America Coalition unites labor unions, studios, and communities across all 50 states with one goal: pass commonsense, bipartisan legislation to revitalize the industry and bring production - and the jobs - back to the united states.

A coalition focused on keeping film, television, streaming, and digital production jobs in the United States

The Crisis

American production is leaving — fast. Since 2022, domestic production activity has collapsed.

Tens of thousands of crew jobs have vanished. Major platforms routinely choose to film abroad—not because the talent is better, but because foreign governments pay them to leave.

THAT IS NOT A MARKET OUTCOME.
IT IS AN INCENTIVE FAILURE.

The Reality

  • 40% Collapse: U.S. production has seen the steepest peacetime decline in history since 2022.
  • 70% Offshored: The vast majority of major streamer productions are now shot outside U.S. borders.
  • $229 Billion Risk: Annual wages supported by the industry are currently at stake.

This Is A Jobs Industry.

Entertainment production is blue-collar work. It is one of the largest remaining industries in America that provides stable, middle-class employment without requiring a four-year degree.

When you watch a show, you see five actors. You don't see the 400 American workers standing behind the camera.

Scenic Artists

Plasterers

Heavy Equipment Ops

Location Managers

Accountants

Gaffers

Best Boys

Dolly Grips

Boom Operators

Costume Fabricators

Special Effects Techs

Pyrotechnicians

Armory Specialists

Stunt Riggers

Safety Divers

Animal Wranglers

Catering Chefs

Set Medics

Transport Captains

Post-Production Editors

Most of these jobs are hourly. Many are union. All are local. When production leaves, these workers don't follow it. The jobs disappear.

Our Policy Agenda

Every major film-producing country backs its industry with a federal incentive. The United States relies almost entirely on states, leaving them to compete alone against foreign national governments. The result is predictable: production follows subsidies overseas. These policies are about restoring basic parity so American workers can compete on equal footing.

01

Fix Section 181

Update Section 181 so it actually works for modern production. The $15 million cap is outdated and especially damaging to episodic series that employ large, long-term crews.

02

Federal Incentive

Establish a modest 10–20 percent federal tax credit, stackable with state programs. This does not replace state incentives; it allows American workers to compete.

03

Stop The Offloading

Modernize rules that allow global platforms to offshore production while keeping all the economic upside. Incentives should reward domestic investment.