PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – As of Thursday, the SAG-AFTRA strike came to an end, but what does that mean for the city of Pittsburgh as a hub for TV and film production?
Pittsburgh’s 25% tax incentive is a major draw for film and television production in the city, and now that the strike is over, Pittsburghers in the entertainment industry are ready to make up for lost time.
There’s a sense of relief around the Pittsburgh Film Office and other agencies in charge of bringing productions to the region. The historic actor’s strike that lasted for more than 100 days had a big impact on the local economy.
“We average about $150 million per year of new money coming in from the feature and television projects that film here. There’s more than 5,000 people who work and live in this region who rely on this industry for some or part of their livelihoods,” according to Dawn Keezer, Director of the Pittsburgh Film Office.
“Usually, there are two or three jobs happening at once in Pittsburgh projects, and it never stops, and to have it stop like that to a screeching halt. It has been really, really hard on the crew and all the vendors associated with it. Everyone is greatly relieved, and I think the economy in Pittsburgh has definitely been affected,” said Nacy Mosser of Mosser Casting.
Now, workers in Pittsburgh’s TV and film industry hope to bounce back.
“The Screen Actors Guild agreeing to this tentative agreement allowing people to go back to work at midnight tonight; we’re thrilled and excited because that means everyone gets to go back to work. They’ve been home since March,” Keezer said.
Agencies like Nancy Mosser Casting kept business going through acting classes and headshot photography.
“We weren’t sure how long it was going to take, [or] how it would affect us. Luckily, we do commercials, too, that are shot in Pittsburgh, but that was affected also because there aren’t any new TV shows to put the commercials in.”
Pittsburgh talent agent Jared Pascoe says his actors struggled with the uncertainty, saying this strike was about working-class actors, not big Hollywood stars.
“I would say in the last month, I have noticed upped anxiety. With people checking in and making sure we didn’t forget about them, which obviously we haven’t. The strike was about working-class actors; all of the actors on our roster aren’t the series-regular actors,” said Pascoe, the agency director of Docherty Talent Agency.
“No matter their job on set, many workers in the local entertainment industry were forced to find alternate jobs.
“People were having to take other forms of employment, [but] thankfully, they were able to get those. We have very skilled artisans that live and work in this craft, so people who were carpenters did carpentry work, artists sold their art, but some people had to drive for the rideshare companies,” Keezer said.
Looking to the future, the development of a new sound stage at Carrie Blast Furnaces in Rankin is a huge draw for production companies, with the hope of making Pittsburgh the ‘Hollywood on the Mon.’
Pascoe says his actors are good to go.
“Resumes are updated, headshots are updated, and we’re ready to hit the ground running when those casting opportunities finally do; I think there’s going to be an over-correction of work. It’s going to come in, and I am excited [about] it, and we’re ready.”
Two popular shows filmed in our region are already scheduled to resume filming. “Mayor of Kingstown” begins in January. Production of “American Rust” starts in early 2024.
The Pittsburgh Film Office said they are hoping the governor will give more money to Pittsburgh’s tax incentive package. Currently, we receive $100 million. Places like Atlanta have an unlimited budget for film and TV filming.