Film and television scoring work is the latest Hollywood industry to face potential destruction if action is not taken to save it.

warns Peter Rotter, a music and orchestral contractor who has produced Avatar, Frozen, and dead Poolin an open letter to the industry that mobilized not just the music industry, but studios and production companies as well.

"I need to wave a flag of deep concern because I see the infrastructure of the Los Angeles recording industry impending collapse," Rotter wrote in the letter circulated by Hollywood professionals. "Unless we come together as a community and support the people of this city livelihood, otherwise it’s just a matter of time before this happens.”

His alarm comes as Hollywood has been hit by literal and figurative fires on multiple fronts. From the COVID-19 pandemic to strikes by writers and actors to post-strike austerity, the film industry has been hollowed out in one blow after another. In addition to this, production flees the country, if not the country, mainly due to attractive tax incentives.

One aspect that is less discussed is moving post-production around the world. Los Angeles is facing an exodus of artists, producers and executives from sound to visual effects. Musicians and the players behind them are a vital part of this.

As an orchestral contractor, Rotter brings together musicians and talents to form an ensemble that not only brings scenes and sequences to life, but also to a charged level of emotion that makes the audience's hearts soar with love or burst from their chests with fear. He created more than a thousand works: Cross, Moana 2, Transformers One and Juror #2 are recent works, but they extend to Minority Report, Ice Age and Elf - and is considered by many to be the most senior in the industry.

In the last century, Los Angeles used to have music from various studios, but now only Fox, Sony and Warner Bros. own the soundtrack scene. Rotter has watched the stage work slowly decline over the years, but in the past decade its decline has accelerated to the point where stages on studio grounds now sit mostly empty. Growing music overseas is becoming increasingly cheaper due to issues such as surplus and union squeeze. But the musical aspect may prove to be the proverbial canary in the coal mine.

"Post-production is losing money at an alarming rate, and the loss of musicians is just the beginning," said one post-production supervisor.

Rothe won an Academy Award last year for executive producing Los Angeles and the musical short film The last repair shophoping that like the artists he brings to the stage, he can rally executives and politicians alike, anyone who can save what he sees as an endangered Hollywood business.

"I wrote this to say that I see what's happening, and if we don't step up and revitalize what we have in Los Angeles, one day we wake up and it won't be here anymore," he said. Tell The Hollywood Reporter. "We're closer to that goal than people think."

Please read the full text of the letter below.

Dear friends, colleagues, and music industry leaders and professionals,

As a Los Angeles native who grew up and has lived in Los Angeles my whole life, I am heartbroken by the recent wildfires that have impacted so many in our community.

When one person is hurt, we are all hurt...our collective family is deeply hurt. We are a small family of professionals (composers, instrumentalists, singers, engineers, music editors, stagehands, scribes, arrangers, conductors, arrangers, music directors, music producers, music Directors, Music Supervisors, etc.) Please note that I need to reach out and share my voice with you all.

Before the fire, our music scene had been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, followed by several successive strikes and a massive shift in the level of film and TV production. We've seen jobs move out of Los Angeles for a number of reasons. I understand these reasons and decisions are made months in advance and are based on film locations, tax credits/incentives, and other factors that we are not aware of that influence these decisions.

As a leader and someone who cares deeply about this industry and its people, I need to personally reach out and see what can be done to retain, restore, or partially leverage the need for you and your workflow now more than ever Community. Our stages are empty most of the time and stagehands have to work part-time to supplement their income as many stages only work 3-7 days per month. Musicians can't make ends meet as the volume of sheet music in Los Angeles has plummeted, and now the fires are causing even more damage.

When I see the infrastructure of the Los Angeles recording industry impending collapse, I need to wave a flag of deep concern. Unless we come together as a community to support the livelihoods of the people in this city, it’s only a matter of time before this happens, Regardless of union hostility, regardless of the fact that your company is not a signatory to the AFM, regardless of the lack of tax credits or incentives, regardless of the production being filmed outside the jurisdiction of the United States or Canada, regardless of anything that might cause you to be suspended and not considered for employment here .

As Lincoln once said, "I implore the better angels of our nature" to help turn this dire situation around so that we can stay afloat before our industry collapses completely. We all know we need to work together to make this a better place to work for everyone, talk about jobs and current business models, get tax credits in Los Angeles, and reduce union restrictions so you want to work here. These things have to happen, and they will happen, and that is what negotiations and open dialogue are for. However, we are in the process of reaching an agreement with AFM and SAG that will last for more than two years.

My entire career has been dedicated to building strong relationships based on trust, care and integrity. As my friends and colleagues, I ask you to consider what you can do now to breathe life into our music industry.

Our town became silent, silent, without music being made. Together, let us revive an art form that once spoke so loudly on the stage of our history.

If anyone wants to discuss what is possible and any steps forward to help achieve this, I'm always available to help. Jasper and/or I are happy to serve as a conduit of communication for the union or musicians.

Thank you for reading and thank you for your consideration.

With great respect and hope,

peter