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The Ranch Film Studios to expand, bring more motion picture jobs to Louisiana

3 years 5 months 6 days ago Thursday, October 22 2020 Oct 22, 2020 October 22, 2020 4:42 AM October 22, 2020 in News
Source: WBRZ
The Ranch Film Studios in Chalmette, Louisiana

BATON ROUGE — On Wednesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the exciting expansion of a Louisiana-based production company in St. Bernard Parish.

According to the governor, The Ranch Film Studios will further develop its film production operations under Louisiana’s Entertainment Job Creation Program, and bring new jobs to the area. 

Founded in 2014, The Ranch Film Studios provides production services, facilities, offices, and sound stages for motion picture production. The studio has hosted the production of major motion pictures, including Bill & Ted Face the Music and Terminator Genisys, as well as television series, such as Hulu’s The First and the new Fox program Filthy Rich.

A Wednesday press release from Louisiana Economic Development (LED) says the company will create 11 new permanent jobs with an average annual salary of $51,818, plus benefits. LED estimates the company’s expansion will result in eight new indirect jobs, for a total of 19 new jobs for the Southeast Region.

“Our Entertainment Job Creation Program encourages companies to invest in permanent jobs for motion picture production and other entertainment sectors in Louisiana,” Gov. Edwards said. “As production activity resumes on movie and TV projects, Louisiana remains well-positioned as an entertainment industry destination. Our talented industry workforce will benefit as we continue to create permanent, quality entertainment jobs in our state.”

The Entertainment Job Creation Program has been in effect since 2017, its aim is to encourage investment in permanent quality jobs for Louisiana residents engaged in entertainment content creation. 

For jobs paying $45,000 or more annually, the employer may claim a 15 percent payroll tax credit. That credit increases to 20 percent for new jobs paying more than $66,000 a year. A similar credit was established for music-related companies.

“This expansion brings my partner Sidney Torres III and me one step closer to realizing the filmmaking center and cultural arts hub we envisioned when we opened The Ranch Film Studios’ doors in 2014,” The Ranch's CEO, Jason Waggenspack, said. “We are excited to be able to continue growing and creating permanent well-paying jobs and building the infrastructure to better serve our clients. At The Ranch, we believe everyone has a story, and with technology constantly evolving new ways to capture those stories, our plan is to be at the forefront of providing a space for those stories to be realized.”

Louisiana created modern-era film production tax incentives in 2002 and remains one of the leading destinations for motion picture production in the world. The industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars every year in project-based spending across the state, from episodic TV productions to feature films.

The Ranch’s family of companies also includes Neutral Ground Films, an in-house content creation company, and The Arsonist, a marketing agency for independent film projects. In addition, The Ranch intends to raise $50 million to restore and renovate the abandoned Ford Assembly Plant in Arabi, to further build out its goal of establishing a full-service content creation and entertainment hub.

Located just 7.2 miles from downtown New Orleans, The Ranch sits on 24 acres in Chalmette. As of October 2020, it has served as the production base for more than $700 million in film and television productions. 

For more information, visit wearetheranch.com.

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