HB 1135, HB 1351, HB 188, HB 243, HB 334, HB 341, HB 378, hb 550, HB 557, HB 563, HB 720, HB 784, HB 897, HB 919, HB 946, HB 959, HB 961, HB 978, SB 400, SB 763. I oppose all of these bills.

Hello. I'm a resident of Richmond, Virginia and I work in the film industry as a lighting technician. Please support Bill SB612, the motion picture tax credit . When there is film/tv productions in town it supports the men and women that work in the film industry that live in Virginia. Plus it helps local businesses too such as catering, lodging, hardware stores, equipment rental houses to name a few. Lets Think Big !!!!! The more film/tv productions that happen in Virginia, more local businesses that will open up to cater to the film industry such as soundstages, equipment rental houses, truck rental places, warehouse space etc. Plus it will help the Virginia Tourist Industry too ( Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown) Lets be better than Georgia !!!!!

My name is Scott Miller, and I support SB612. I am a Richmond, VA resident, working in the local film industry. Thanks to the motion picture tax credit, I've made a career in film and television as a set lighting technician. If the tax credit expires, I will be forced to train for another career, or move to another state. Virginia is my home, and SB612 will allow me to continue to live and work in my home state.

Good morning, Senate Finance Subcommittee Members, I am asking for your vote for SB612. I am a SAG-AFTRA member and a Virginia Resident. Before the last administration, I made a very decent income from being an actor in Virginia. Since the funding is nonexistent, my income has dwindled and is not acceptable. Virginia once had a significant impact on the film industry. Some productions to mention were: Good Lord Bird, Harriett, Swagger, Dopesick, Walking Dead, Fellow Travelers, Gravediggers, Tapawingo, Succession, and Atlantis. Please provide the funding for this bill so that Virginia will bring work back to the industry and state. Thank you in Advance Laurence Aikens SAG Actor

I am a Virginia resident and professional actor working in film and television, and I strongly support legislation to increase Virginia’s production tax incentives. These incentives are essential if Virginia wants to attract and retain major film and television productions and the economic benefits they bring to the Commonwealth. I am a member of SAG-AFTRA and have had the opportunity to work on productions filmed in Virginia, including TURN: Washington’s Spies, Wonder Woman 1984, and Fellow Travelers. Virginia has also hosted major projects such as Dopesick, Swagger, and The Good Lord Bird, which provided significant employment for Virginia actors, crew members, and local businesses. Unfortunately, in recent years, large productions have increasingly chosen other states due to more competitive tax incentive programs. Production incentives deliver substantial economic impact. Film and television projects support local businesses across multiple sectors, including restaurants, hotels, transportation services, dry cleaning, construction, and utilities. These productions generate revenue, create jobs, and showcase Virginia’s unique locations to global audiences, strengthening tourism throughout the Commonwealth. Beyond immediate economic benefits, the film industry develops a highly skilled workforce. Productions provide training, mentorship, and career opportunities for Virginia residents, helping build a sustainable creative economy and positioning Virginia as a competitive, turnkey destination for filmmakers. I love living in Virginia and want to continue building my career here. However, without competitive incentives, many industry professionals face difficult decisions about relocating to states such as Georgia, where stronger programs attract consistent production activity. Strengthening Virginia’s incentives would help retain talent, grow local businesses, and ensure Virginia remains competitive in a rapidly expanding global industry. I respectfully urge your support for increased Virginia film and television production incentives. This investment benefits not only those working in the industry, but also the many Virginia businesses and communities that gain from the economic activity production brings. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Kelly Schwartz McLean, VA

I have worked in the industry, in film and television, for the past 40 years, in New York, Los Angeles, and here in Virginia, as an actor, writer, and currently, film producer. The need for financially attractive tax incentives available to filmmakers is crucial for the state’s own economy. I am currently in pre-production on a feature film with a 14MM budget and am trying to decide between four different states: Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia. Which state I decide to spend approx. 8-9MM hiring a local production crew, local venders talent and hotels over a 12-week period, will be the state offering the best incentives, period. And VA is not at the top of that list (thanks to Tim Kaine). Virginia’s tax incentives need to be improved! This is a great state, blessed with an enormous variety of backdrops and locations. Why are we not making the most of them anymore?

As an actor, I have seen states flourish under huge tax incentives for film and tv. All types of local small business and local independent workers become affluent and are able to provide for their families and stay in the state in which they resided. Unfortunately, we have not kept up with the times and many have had to move out of the state and small businesses aren’t able to contribute anything close in taxes to help support our state. Please vote for this bill and significantly increase future bills. Our state and citizens have so much to offer!

It's a win-win for everyone involved. No place that's ever provided incentives to bring more film/TV production to their area has ever regretted it. That is exactly why more and more places have done it over the last couple of decades.

I've worked in film here in Virginia for 10 years as a picture car coordinator. I'm responsible for finding cars, bikes and vehicles for productions. I'm also responsible for painting, or changing the way that they look or operate, which requires a lot of outsourced help. Please understand that bill SB612 is critical for not just us in the film industry, but also equally critical for those that don't work directly in the film industry. Many businesses experience a major influx of work/ services provided or products sold when there are productions in town. This is why when I call my usual vendors, they are happy and more than eager to deal with us, because they know we will be spending a lot of money with them. New vendors that have not experienced the rush of revenue that comes to town are equally grateful. I think it is most important to understand that film in Virginia, my home, is needed to keep Virginians working and bringing revenue for the Commonwealth.

Funding these bills increases the chance of long term film work within the state of VA. The last few years have seen a weak and non competitive television and film incentive for productions to come and invest in this community. With fights for film worker's rights, threats of AI replacing jobs , and conglomerate studio mergers, US film work even more competitive. Productions have been choosing to out source to work to european countries it makes the pool of work even smaller. We have a strong and talented community of film workers and technicians in this state and we are looking forward to your vote to pass this bill and bring us the work we need and want here. Fund the Arts. Fund bringing work to your constituents. Fund economic growth to VA. Thanks for your time.

I am in favor of SB612

I am writing in support of SB612 which is vital to the growth of the film industry in Virginia. Film productions create thousands of good paying jobs across the Commonwealth and also boost the economy by bringing an influx of business to our communities.

My name is Ramona L. Taylor and serve as a the current President of the Virginia Production Alliance (VPA). I am an award winning filmmaker, screenwriter, and the owner of two production companies. I have worked in the industry as a script supervisor on several local and national projects including, Walking Dead, Turn, Point of Honor and Virginia Lottery commercials. I support this bill and am joined by the VPA membership, which includes filmmakers, artists, and business owners (large and small) across the State , that support this bill as well.

My career is within the film industry. I am an emerging worker in this field and hope to make it a long-term commitment and source of stability. Please consider supporting this bill. I appreciate the opportunity to provide comment on SB 612.

My name is Alex Bond and I’m a freelance professional in the media production industry. The tax credits provided by the state for films produced in Virginia are vital to ensure that me, my colleagues, my friends, and my family are able to sustain ourselves financially, while creating art that serves our community. I cannot understate the value movies have to the local community as a shining example of how a diverse group of people can work together to make something bigger than themselves. It’s a testament to the importance of collaboration, problem solving, and resilience to adversity as a collective. In addition, the motion picture production industry is a financial boon to the Virginia economy. Local retailers see significantly increased revenue throughout production (through lodging, restaurants, bars, etc) while productions of significant exposure provide increased revenue in tourism efforts, ever reminding those outside the state what we have to offer. Thanks to tax credits, productions can spend more of their budget on hard-working Virginia laborers, further stimulating our local economy. Increased tax credits provide more opportunities for motion pictures to be produced in Virginia and improve the livelihood of our state at large. I request the committee pass SB612, so our state’s production industry can continue to thrive and become a pivotal piece to the motion picture production industry

Thank you for posting your comments on HB400! It was voted unanimously to report it to the full House Finance Committee! But our work isn't done. If you could please post a counterpart to the Senate version of the bill on the link below, that would be great! Senator Pillion's SB612 asks for the sunset extension and will now appear in House Finance. As you know, we NEED the sunset extension to bring work to Virginia!!! Thank you !!!

Extending the tax credit sunset for motion pictures is crucial for bringing good paying jobs to Virginia for us in the film production business. I've lived here for over thirty years, making my living on various productions that come to our great Commonwealth. Without those tax credits, productions go to other states, leaving film professionals like me without income. Without income, I cannot spend money in my community, including paying income taxes. The last few years have been dire. Many colleagues have moved away. We would all benefit from extending the tax credit so that hard-working Virginians can make a living here and support their families and communities. Thank you.

Please support SB612. I am a Virginia film crew member. My husband is also a crew member. We have been working consistently in the Commonwealth for 12 + years and understand the impact the studio money has on our localities. Camera rental houses, small business vendors and taxes paid by local crew. These jobs are 60hr a week positions for 4-8 months per project. We are both skilled in our crafts and are mentors for the new generation coming next. Our work is not just entertainment. It is our dedicated careers. We ask that you extend the deadline so that we can continue spreading the impact to graduates, local businesses and in our communities. Thank you for your vote

Film Production creates jobs and boosts the economy of every city we find ourselves working in to create stories. Tom Hanks once visited Charlie's Cafe in Norfolk while filming Captain Phillips; whatever he ordered that day became the Tom Hanks Platter. Nobody that worked on Captain Phillips was as famous as Tom Hanks, but I guarantee that most of the names in the end credits spent time and money in Norfolk. Movie magic isn't just about months of blood, sweat and tears being turned into two hours on the silver screen. Movie magic is also about making memories behind the scenes and giving Virginians the opportunity to learn and dream. I once worked on a science show filming at Smith Mountain Lake. We were looking into the cause of the lake's low water level with scuba gear and underwater cameras. The scientists expected what they found: that geological shifts were causing the lake to drain into the mountain. What we did not expect was that our guide would have a story to tell about working on Dirty Dancing as a young man back in the 1980s. Virginians worked with Steven Spielberg to shows us Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln, helped Michael Keaton kick drugs on Dopesick, turned Kevin Durant's basketball ambition into Swagger, and made The Walking Dead a wider world. Ethan Hawke loved working on The Good Lord Bird in Virginia so much, that he brought another project to film here a few years later with Ewan McGregor. Visibility matters and I believe that the world should be able to see stories set and filmed in Virginia. I also believe that Virginians should be able to help craft those stories and create memories of their contributions to the arts. "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"

Please support the SB612 bill for the sunset extension. Actors like myself as well as other creatives in this industry are dependent on bringing production work to Virginia in order to maintain a sustainable career. Supporting this bill will not only help our film ecosystem, but also drive significant local economic growth by supporting neighboring businesses. Thank you!

Thank you for this opportunity to provide comment on SB 612. My career is within the film industry. I have been trained to work in this field and have done so the past 15 years. Please consider supporting this bill as it only calls for the sunset extension. The incentives are essential to bringing production work to the Commonwealth. My livelihood depends on the sunset extension.