Louisiana The New Hollywood?

We Louisiana natives have long known that Louisiana is a great place to live (especially South Louisiana!), and now Hollywood is discovering how great the "other LA" is.

This summer will see a number of big-budget films and TV shows filmed in Louisiana due to producers deciding to capitalize on our state's tax credit program.

The films on the list aren't independent films, either; they're sequels to huge Hollywood blockbusters:''Terminator 5," ''Pitch Perfect 2" and "Jurassic World," the third sequel to Steven Spielberg's groundbreaking "Jurassic Park." "NCIS: New Orleans" and "American Horror Story: Freak Show" are two of the TV series currently filming in Louisiana.

Louisiana surpassed California and all other popular film locations in the number of live-action movie shoots in 2013, leading to $810 million spent by production companies on 123 projects in 2013, which led to $251 million in tax credits, according to Chris Stelly, executive director of Louisiana Entertainment.

Will French, president of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association, reports that the industry's interest in Louisiana has led to "about 14,000 jobs, up from roughly zero 10 years ago. TV production is also growing in Louisiana, according to French; a pilot for "Salem," based on the Salem witch trials, is now filming in Shreveport.