Production in Louisiana doesn’t just rise and fall with headlines, it follows incentives, infrastructure, and cold budget math. We talk with Jason Waggenspack, founder and CEO of Ranch Film Studios in Chalmette and president of Film Louisiana, about what he’s seeing on the ground right now and why the industry still feels “slow” even after the strikes ended. Jason breaks down how the streaming boom after COVID created a production bubble, how the 2023 work stoppages pushed studios to Canada and Europe, and why competing states are now up against entire countries that can offer bigger checks.
