Los Angeles Film and TV Production Levels Plunge

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Filming activities in Los Angeles are declining due to a worldwide shortage of production resources and intensifying rivalry from other locations vying to become film and television production hubs.

From January through March this year, every production category experienced a drop compared to the same timeframe last year, as stated in a report released by FilmLA on Monday. This nonprofit organization is responsible for managing film permits within the city and county. Over these three months, there was a 22% decrease in shooting days, totaling 5,295.

Between January and March, every type of production had fewer instances compared to last year’s same period, as revealed by FilmLA’s report on Monday. This organization manages film permits for the city and county. During this timeframe, there were 22% fewer shooting days than usual (a total of 5,295).

It’s been over a year since the strikes ended, but contrary to initial predictions, the entertainment industry hasn’t resumed filming in Los Angeles at the rate we anticipated. The decrease in filming activity in this region has worsened due to budget cuts across many studios, leading to a record low in shooting levels last year, as recorded by FilmLA since they began tracking data in 2017 (excluding 2020, when filming was halted because of the pandemic). As a result of this significant drop in production, legislators in California are considering expanding a program that offers financial incentives to productions shooting within the state.

The significant decline in television show production, a key sector in Los Angeles, is cause for concern. Filming for this category has decreased by approximately 30% compared to the same period last year and nearly half of the average over the past five years. In fact, only 13 TV pilots were filmed in L.A. during the last quarter, which marks the lowest number ever recorded by FilmLA.

The film office highlighted that there was a significant drop of almost 30% in TV comedy production during the last quarter, bringing it down to about 110 shooting days. It’s worth noting that these shows predominantly fall into the category of half-hour series, which unfortunately do not meet the criteria for California’s tax credit incentive program at this time.

To stay competitive with other regions expanding their eligible productions for subsidies, California legislators are considering a plan that would permit TV series made up of two or more episodes lasting at least 20 minutes to become eligible for such subsidies. Other productions that may now qualify for tax credits under the proposed changes include sitcoms, animated movies, series or shorts, and “large-scale competition” programs (excluding reality shows, documentaries, game shows, or talk shows). The minimum budget for these productions would be set at $1 million.

In Los Angeles’s production sector, the reduction in TV filming has severe implications for industry personnel. In the past year alone, there were approximately 7,700 days dedicated to TV show shoots, marking a drop of more than half (58%) compared to the high of 2021.

A recent report by FilmLA indicates a significant drop in soundstage usage across the past two years, pointing to a decrease in filming activities within the area. In 2024, an average of 63% occupancy was observed among 17 major studios that control most of L.A.’s stages, compared to 69% occupancy in 2023.

FilmLA mentioned that the wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena had a relatively small effect on film production. A review by the film permitting office showed these regions hosted around 1,400 days of shooting over the past four years, which amounts to just 1.3% of all regional filming activity.

Around 545 filming spots were engulfed by the fire’s path, making them unsafe for production. These areas are currently restricted from being used as film sets.

According to FilmLA’s Vice President of Communications, Philip Sokoloski, the fires forced numerous film productions to adjust their schedules and left hundreds of industry workers without homes. However, it seems that the effect on local filming activity was short-lived.

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2025-04-14 22:24