Hollywood’s Decline: A Wake-Up Call for California’s Leaders
By CineDrones Staff | June 12, 2025
LOS ANGELES — Once the beating heart of the global entertainment industry, Hollywood has become a ghost of its former self. Soundstages sit idle. Crew members, actors, editors, and the countless workers behind the scenes are scrambling to piece together livelihoods that once thrived under the bright lights of Tinseltown.
The reality is stark: Hollywood is broken — and those at the top, from Sacramento to Los Angeles City Hall, seem unwilling or unable to fix it.
For decades, California’s entertainment industry wasn’t just a cultural juggernaut — it was an economic engine. It put food on tables, paid mortgages, and gave families hope for a better future. Today, that hope is vanishing. Jobs that once supported entire communities have dried up, and those who gave years — in many cases, lifetimes — to this industry are left in limbo.
The blame, in part, lies with leadership. Our elected officials have not only failed to respond to the needs of those affected by the industry’s downturn — they’ve added insult to injury. While thousands are out of work, facing soaring housing costs, and struggling with inflation, California is set to raise its already burdensome gas tax again on July 1.
This is not leadership. This is abandonment.
As the cost of living climbs and safety concerns rise in major cities like Los Angeles, studios and productions are voting with their feet — and their wallets. States like Georgia, Texas, and New Mexico are reaping the benefits, offering safer, more affordable, and more business-friendly environments for filmmakers. These are states where workers can actually afford to live near where they work. Where families don’t have to choose between paying rent and buying groceries. Where local leadership embraces opportunity, not bureaucracy.
California, once a dream for so many, is now a cautionary tale.
What’s most disheartening is not just the exodus of productions or the decline in jobs — it’s the silence from those in power. The lack of urgency. The absence of empathy. Working-class families who’ve given everything to this state and this industry are being forced out, priced out, and shut out. And the response? A shrug, a tax hike, and business as usual.
We at CineDrones have witnessed the toll firsthand — not just in our bottom line, but in the faces of friends, colleagues, and collaborators who are exhausted, disillusioned, and desperate. This isn’t just about entertainment. It’s about survival.
To our leaders in Sacramento and Los Angeles: the time to act was yesterday. But the time to listen is now. The California we love is slipping away. And unless bold steps are taken to support its workers, protect its industries, and make it livable again, there may be no comeback story.
The credits are rolling — but it doesn’t have to end this way.
