Filming in Los Angeles is rebounding, although overall production last year was at an all-time low.
Production in most genres saw growth in the three-month period from October to December in the three-month period from October to December, with the exception of reality TV, which recorded growth for the ninth consecutive year compared with previous years, according to a new report Wednesday from film licensing office FilmLA. quarterly decline. Shooting in Los Angeles increased by approximately 6% compared to 2023, to 5,860 shooting days.
Last year's overall increase in filming, however, came too late to salvage the combined effect of years of runaway output caused by movies and TV shows choosing to shoot in locations with more generous tax incentives, a slower-than-expected recovery from strikes and a shrinking industry. . Local filming in 2024 was recorded at 23,480 filming days, the second-lowest number FilmLA has observed since production was suspended during the 2020 pandemic.
The report does not take into account the impact of Los Angeles' historic wildfires on production, which could further cripple filming in the short term.
FilmLA president Paul Audley stressed in a statement that many workers in Hollywood and supporting industries have been "directly affected by this tragedy" and "many of the places beloved by audiences across the country may never return to our screens." He added: “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 the recent fire events and the heartbreaking loss of lives, homes, businesses and precious The impact of loss of community space.”
While most major genre productions increased last quarter, TV and movie shooting fell 6.5% compared to the same period last year. The number of shooting days in this category was 1,596, just 53% of the five-year average.
Most concerning is the continued decline in reality TV production, which is down approximately 45.7% compared to the same period in 2023. That's a drag on the entire TV category, which has long been the mainstay of output in the region. Meanwhile, the number of filming days for TV series increased to 528 days compared with 2023, but is still 36.6% below the five-year average.
Feature film production was a highlight, with the number of shooting days increasing by more than 82% in the last quarter to 589 days. FilmLA analysts attributed the growth to independent film activity.
California's film and television tax incentive program is in the spotlight amid a historic decline in the Los Angeles film industry. Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month approved a budget proposal that significantly increases the state's current cap on tax credits for the entertainment industry, from $330 million to $750 million annually. . If passed, the subsidy would be the most generous offered by any state except Georgia, which has no cap on the amount it can provide to productions each year.
The program's success depends largely on other changes, such as expanding the types of spending and production categories that qualify for tax credits and raising the maximum amount of subsidies that can be obtained for a single product. California is the only major film hub that prohibits any portion of above-the-line costs, such as actors, directors and producers' salaries, from qualifying for tax credits.
Some productions filmed in Los Angeles can receive tax benefits when filmed in California.