More than 1,500 people rally to keep film and TV jobs in L.A.

LOS ANGELES (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - More than 1,500 people rallied in Sun Valley Sunday to keep film and TV jobs in Los Angeles. It's all part of the "Stay in LA" Movement.

Entertainment industry workers, union leaders and small business owners all urged elected officials to support policies to keep film and TV productions in Hollywood.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the writer's and actor's strikes, and the two massive fires, the industry has struggled to return to normal.

"Things are slow, and each year seems to be getting this is the slowest it's ever been. And every year everyone keeps saying this is the slowest it's ever been, and it just keeps becoming four years and five years now.

I went from at least five auditions a month to none in the last two years and I've picked up teaching to help supplement an income, but my heart is in acting.

My heart's in entertainment and writing, and it's hard to be in an industry like Hollywood and LA where you're told LA and Hollywood is the place to be when you come out here and there's no jobs anymore. It's all in Canada and England now...in Georgia.

64% of sound stages in LA aren't being used right now. They're just empty. To me that's a little crazy, right? Why do we have infrastructure here to film, and we're not filming it we have the people and we have the people."

Ryan Jacobs, entertainer

"We know production is down, so part of this is bringing awareness, which we've done a really great job, but it's also about creating kind of momentum and community, and also there's so many people in this industry who feel really alone, and so I think making sure people feel like they're not alone, as well as bringing the issues to the legislators and letting them know that this is not just a job. This is about lifelines."

Pamala Buzick Kim, Stay in LA organizer

They say they support Governor Gavin Newsom's propose $750 million tax incentive plan to help keep entertainment jobs in California.