According to the latest report from FilmLA, production in the greater Los Angeles area increased 6.2% last quarter as 2024 comes to a close.

Most production genres saw growth in the fourth quarter, but reality TV continued to decline.

This year promises to be a pivotal year for California's iconic industry, with Governor Gavin Newsom calling for an expansion of the California Film and Television Tax Credit program from $330 million to $750 million annually.

Fires raged across the Los Angeles area last Tuesday, destroying thousands of buildings and prompting mass evacuations. More than 15,000 acres have burned in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, while in Altadena another fire has burned more than 10,000 acres. The third fire has burned more than 700 acres in the top San Fernando Valley. Loss of fire damage in Los Angeles is estimated at $250 billion and rising.

FilmLA said: “As we await signs of continued business growth in 2025, it is important that we recognize that every aspect of life in the greater Los Angeles area has been impacted by recent fire events and the heartbreaking loss of lives, homes, businesses and cherished communities. Impact of Space Loss” President Paul Audley. "Many people involved in the region's entertainment economy have been directly affected by this tragedy; many places beloved by audiences across the country may never return to our screens."

talk with type, "By the end of 2024, I think we can say there won't be any other impact," said Phillip Sokoloski, vice president of integrated communications. "We're starting to observe the stabilization and job levels that are happening in the greater Los Angeles area. People have been asking for months and we've been thinking about the new What normal will look like, I think we're close to the bottom and now looking at potential business growth in 2025."

After the fire, Sokoloski used FilmLA's data from this week to understand the impact the fire had on filming days. "On a shooting day basis, we are seeing about 50% of the activity we saw during the same period last year. Permit applications were down about 80% over the same period, so people are cautious about resuming filming." He added that filming is returning to environmentally friendly controlled studio. If on site, this may take longer as evacuation zones remain in place. "I think the filmmakers understand and respect that firefighters need space to do their jobs, so we're coordinating or providing permits for areas outside of those locations."

Looking ahead to the rest of the quarter, Sokolowski said the city remains "open for business." We hope to cooperate with you. We'll find a way to help you access the location of your choice and provide a very quick turnaround when you're ready to get back to work. "

Total full-year production is down 5.6% from 2023, making 2024 the second-lowest production year observed by FilmLA. In 2020 alone, the number of shoots in regional communities declined due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Reality TV production remains low for the ninth consecutive quarter. After falling 45.7% in the fourth quarter (to 774 shooting days), the category also fell 45.9% for the full year (to 3,905 shooting days), which is 43.1% below the five-year category average.

Feature film production increased 82.4% in the fourth quarter to 589 shooting days, an increase that analysts attributed to independent film activity. The California Film and Television Tax Credit program also played a role, driving 19.2% of quarterly category activity. Overall, annual drama production will grow 18.8% in 2024, but the category's output is 27.6% below the five-year average.

Meanwhile, the number of production days for 2023 TV drama scripts affected by the strike increased to 528 days in the fourth quarter. Producers are helped by the California Film and Television Tax Credit program, which sustains 19.5% of all on-location TV productions. Last year, the TV series category’s annual output doubled from 2023 levels. The category still lags the five-year average by 36.6%.

Commercial production also increased 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Annual production levels were flat, with a year-over-year difference of -1.7%. There are fewer jobs for commercial film producers in Los Angeles than there have been recently, with the commercial film category down 33.3% from the five-year average.

FilmLA's "Other" category, which brings together smaller, lower-cost shoots such as still photography, student films, documentaries, music and industrial videos, and other projects, grew 6.1% last quarter (to 2,912 shoot days). Annual numbers for this category were unchanged from the previous year at 10,154 shooting days.