Troubled Muse VFX facility in Caddo Parish joins state’s Entertainment Job Creation Program

SHREVEPORT, La. — Louisiana Entertainment and Troubled Muse CEO R. Andru Davies announced the company’s launch of an animation and visual effects (VFX) studio in Shreveport supported by Louisiana’s Entertainment Job Creation Program. Troubled Muse will create original digital content for television and feature films, specializing in motion capture, visual effects and animation.

The company will create 53 new permanent jobs with an average annual salary of $74,000, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 40 new indirect jobs, for a total of 93 new jobs for Caddo Parish and the Northwest Region.

“Troubled Muse is a welcome addition to the digital entertainment production capacity we are building in Northwest Louisiana,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “Projects like this demonstrate our ability to compete and win in the motion picture production sector here in Louisiana. We are well positioned to succeed, thanks to our workforce, incentives and technical partnerships with the education community. With our local partners, we remain committed to creating permanent, quality jobs for Louisiana residents in the digital and information technology sector. These are critical efforts, as we cannot afford to be left behind in the establishment of tomorrow’s high-paying information technology jobs.”

Signed into law by Gov. Edwards in 2017, the Entertainment Job Creation Program, also known as the Qualified Entertainment Company (QEC) program, is designed 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.

“Troubled Muse is bringing a full-service VFX and animation creation studio to Shreveport,” Davies said. “Our studio will offer these services to individual productions with a focus on bringing motion picture activity to Northwest Louisiana. We look forward to engaging with the local workforce here to fill the exciting jobs we are creating.”

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 City of Shreveport is in the perfect position to serve as a hub for original content creation in Northwest Louisiana and this project marks the start of a significant rebound for the entertainment industry in our region,” Mayor Adrian Perkins said. “Troubled Muse is bringing high-paying jobs in an exciting career field and will complement workforce development opportunities created in partnership with our local colleges and universities.”

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