Local 700’s Political Engagement Committe has launched a new “Post Proud” campaign, urging members and allies to take action in support of a standalone post-production tax credit in California.
The effort comes as the post-production workforce continues to face a sharp downturn driven by studio cutbacks, industry consolidation, and aggressive incentives drawing work out of state and overseas.
At the center of the campaign is AB2319 — authored by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D–Burbank) and backed by the California Post Alliance (CAPA) — which would establish a dedicated tax credit for post-production work completed in California on projects that otherwise wouldn’t qualify for existing Californian tax credits.
The Editors Guild is engaged in productive talks with Assemblymember Schultz and CAPA to amend the bill in order to include strong labor standards. AB2319 recently passed the Assembly Arts and Entertainment Committee and now heads to the Tax and Revenue Committee. If it survives a vote in the Tax and Revenue Committee, it faces one additional committee vote and then a floor vote before it proceeds to the State Senate.
The Guild’s Political Engagement Committee (PEC) created the “Post Proud in CA” campaign to mobilize members at a critical moment in the legislative process. The initiative encourages actions like contacting lawmakers and participating in upcoming advocacy events.
To anchor the campaign visually, the PEC enlisted former Local 700 Board Member Austin Scott, an out-of-work picture editor who has turned to illustration to make a living. Austin, whose credits include “Dancing With the Stars” and “MasterChef,” has experienced firsthand the industry contraction in California.
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Austin Scott and his “Altadena Forever” community mural. PHOTO: COURTESY AUSTIN SCOTT
Austin’s design for the campaign features a California bear surrounded by iconic state imagery — from redwoods and poppy flowers to the Los Angeles skyline and Golden Gate Bridge — symbolizing both pride in the state and the industry’s roots here. The art is in the style of the “Altadena Forever” community mural that Austin painted after wildfires devastated the town in January 2025.
“A unifying image like Austin’s art can help rally a coalition of more than 6,200 active MPEG members in California, along with the broader post-production community, and even our non-member allies” said Board Member A.J. Catoline, co-chair of the PEC.
“We are experiencing an existential crisis in our industry, and this campaign is engaging our members and encouraging them to take action on legislation that directly impacts our livelihoods. These actions make a difference,” added PEC co-chair Elisa R. Cohen.
Guild President F. Hudson Miller emphasized that sustained member engagement will be essential. “Passing AB2319, the post-production tax credit bill, will require continued time and effort,” he said. “When our members write their representatives it really is a game changer.”
Miller cautioned that legislating can be a slow process, and will require that union members “repeatedly write lawmakers, stressing the significance of post-production to the people and economy of California.” He thanked members who wrote thousands of letters which were delivered to lawmakers in Sacramento on April 7.
The PEC will use the “Post Proud” design to make a campaign button. Board Member Erik C. Andersen — a picture editor who has also lost work and uses his art skills as an award-winning designer of the Burbank Rose Parade float — adapted Austin’s artwork to the pin, adding the rallying call “Pass The Post Tax Credit.” The PEC will give them out at a member event on April 25, titled “Spring Into Action,” where Assemblymember Schultz will speak with Local 700 members about his bill.
For Austin, the campaign is both personal and hopeful. Now on honorary withdrawal — where active membership is paused — he has turned to art to support himself, including community murals in Altadena following devastating fires, and selling his work on T-shirts to raise funds for relief efforts.
“I edited for 20 years, and I don’t know if I’ll return to it full-time,” Austin said. “I hope this work comes back and thrives here again. But if it doesn’t, we all have to find ways to keep going.”
He added, “My community was inspired by my art. I hope it inspires my union, too.”
–Political Engagement Committee, Local 700
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