Independent studio in Los Angeles hoping for resurgence in Hollywood productions

The legendary entertainment industry in Los Angeles is struggling, but an independent studio that just opened a new production complex is hoping for a resurgence.

"This is a 36,000 square foot, 42-foot clear studio that can accommodate a high-quality episodic television show that can accommodate a feature film," said Shep Wainright, from East End Studios.

Wainright began developing and building a $230 million movie and TV complex with five state-of-the-art sound stages four years ago. Back then, streaming and production demand were exploding.

He and his partners at East End Studios were already turning out productions at their other facilities in LA and New York. They believed that if they built a massive new studio along the iconic new Sixth Street Bridge, the movie industry would fill it.

"This is the heart. This is where everything happens and it's empty right now; it needs to be full," Wainright said.

A barrage of hits has since battered the LA film industry, including the pandemic, the 2023 writers and actors strikes, economic pressures and the exodus of productions to other states and countries where it's cheaper to shoot and tax incentives are greater.

Wainright said, looking back, if he knew this would happen, he would've had more reservations.

"The stages were at 90% occupancy when we started this and now, they're below 60%," Wainwright said.

Wainright said he's grateful to Mayor Karen Bass and the state for pushing numerous incentives that have begun luring the industry back.

This week, he said there's been new chatter about the Trump administration possibly considering a stackable federal tax credit.

"In California, it's a 35% credit that can be to the benefit of the productions and we're trying to add another 20% to that," Wainright said.

Industry leaders have been pushing for such an incentive, rather than the tariff the administration proposed on productions done outside the country. Wainright said it would make LA more competitive with the UK and Canada.

He said East Ends new facility is ready to go and they're talking about what could become their first clients. But he believes LA's struggling film industry needs another significant jolt to revive it.

"This should be a hive with 750 people working here on any given day, there should be people just running around, they should be building sets, they should be filming on sets," Wainright said.