The dual Hollywood strikes are now a thing of the past, but the comeback of production in Los Angeles has been sluggish, especially for television projects. According to the city and county’s film office, on-location filming in the area dropped by 8.7% in the first quarter, with only 6,823 shoot days from January through March. The latest report from FilmLA highlights a significant loss in television production as the main reason for this decline. TV production was down 16.2% year-over-year in Q1, with only 2,402 shoot days compared to 2,868 in 2023. The current filming levels are even more concerning when compared to the five-year category average, with the television sector trailing by 32.8%.
Reality TV production saw an 18.6% decrease in the first quarter, while TV drama production with heavy location requirements dropped by 5.5% and TV comedy production with fewer location needs plummeted by 51.5%. TV pilots, which were almost non-existent in 2023, experienced an 842.9% increase in quarterly production but only resulted in 66 shoot days.
On a positive note, feature film production defied the trend by slightly increasing during Q1 with 634 shoot days, finishing 6.6% ahead of the same period in 2023. However, the film office attributes runaway production, series cancellations, and planned reductions in content spend as factors limiting industry output and job opportunities.
FilmLA President Paul Audley expressed concerns about the slow return of production, stating that many people are still struggling to find work in the industry. He mentioned that production didn’t stabilize until March, falling short of expectations. The production of commercials for television and the web also saw a 9.6% decline in the first quarter, with 813 shoot days recorded. The loss of production to other jurisdictions remains a worry, as local commercial production levels are significantly below their first quarter five-year average.
“Job seekers often wonder how Shoot Days and on-location work relate to the creation of industry jobs,” added Audley. “Our analysis of permit data and the number of cast and crew present on-location provides further evidence of the delayed return to work.”
