From left: Dan Point, Tino Gagliardi, Sara Cutler, Gov. Kathy Hochul

In a lift for music jobs in New York, scoring work for TV and film will now be considered a “qualified cost” for the first time ever under the New York State Film Production Tax Credit program. Producers will be eligible for an extra 10 percent tax credit when five or more musicians are hired to score projects. This means that producers are financially incentivized to do their scoring in New York — which could result in more jobs for musicians. The scoring tax credit is a new addition to New York’s other production incentives.

While it represents a compromise from our original target of a “scoring mandate,” this new solution for the state presents a remarkable leap forward for musicians on the East Coast as the film industry continues to evolve. This victory was achieved through persistent and strategic lobbying efforts led by myself and supported at key intervals by AFM President Tino Gagliardi, Local 802 President Bob Suttmann, Local 802 Financial Vice President Karen Fisher and Local 802 Executive Board Member Sara Cutler. I spent much of February through April in Albany, and on more than one occasion traveled to Albany with our officers on alternating days to lobby state legislators and build meaningful relationships.

From left: Dan Point, Sara Cutler, Tino Gagliardi, and NY State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal

Under the new provision, when film or TV producers hire at least five musicians to record a qualified project in New York State, they will receive an extra 10 percent rebate or tax credit on scoring costs from the state on top of the pre-existing 40 percent credit. Additionally, if scoring is conducted in upstate New York there is an additional 10 percent rebate, meaning producers could see rebates of scoring costs as high as 60 percent. This has the effect of encouraging more producers to hire New York musicians and to do their scoring here, particularly when we consider that the jobs most commonly outsourced to Europe are moved there to achieve cost savings estimated to be around 50 percent of local AFM scoring costs.

To break this down, a $500,000 scoring project that’s achieved in New York City could save producers $250,000, and as much as $300,000 if done upstate — a big incentive to create a lot more work for our members given the rapid expansion of the tax credit program in NY.

The exact language in the budget reads: “…qualified production costs that are attributable to scoring shall be eligible for an additional ten percent credit on such scoring costs when incurred within the state and when such scoring costs include payment to a minimum of five musicians.”

New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal with Local 802 President Bob Suttmann

HISTORY

Prior to 2010, most major Hollywood productions recorded scores in the United States, with New York and L.A. serving as primary hubs. This began to shift dramatically as Eastern European countries started offering cheaper nonunion orchestras for sale, with technology facilitating the change. By 2018, about 90 percent of major Hollywood productions had moved their scoring overseas.

Even though scoring is only a minimal part of a blockbuster film’s budget (as little as 0.05 percent in some cases), producers still try to pinch pennies in any way possible. Local 802 realized that an effective way to fight this offshoring of live music is through legislation, or — in this case — the state budget.

Over the past several months, we visited with legislators and the governor herself to make our case. We argued that the new provision would:

• Create significant employment opportunities for New York musicians
• Strengthen New York’s position as a complete film production hub
• Support the cultural and artistic ecosystem of the state, including recording studios
• Have minimal fiscal impact on the tax credit program

I’m happy to report that our efforts paid off. The big takeaway is that strong relationships with our elected leaders are key to delivering wins for our members. We were able to show that encouraging producers to hire more New York musicians is good not just for one union but for the entire cultural landscape of New York.

MOVING FORWARD

As we celebrate this historic victory in New York placing us squarely within our local film production industry, a lot more work remains ahead of us. In order to win the respect we deserve in Albany and City Hall, we need to involve more members, not just staff.

The most impactful way to strengthen our political muscle is by supporting our TEMPO 802 PAC. Contributors to our PAC are limited to active Local 802 members per federal law, which means that every single dollar goes a long way.

Please consider joining as a monthly donor so that your union can put financial resources behind more politicians who support our legislative efforts. As a former political staffer, I can tell you that it makes a world of a difference.

The link to donate and learn more is: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tempo802

PRIMARY ELECTION ON JUNE 24

The primary election for NYC municipal elections is Tuesday, June 24.

• Local 802’s endorsements
• NYC Central Labor Council’s endorsements
• How to vote (including early voting)