Film and television projects shot in Los Angeles County declined by 5.6 percent last year compared to 2023, hitting its lowest point in 30 years, according to a new FILML.A. report.
FILML.A. is a not-for-profit public benefit organization that acts as the official film office for the city and county of Los Angeles.
“Now more than ever, we need Californians invested in this industry and its future to say this creative community matters and work with elected leadership to answer the challenge posed by our many out of state competitors,” FILML.A. spokesperson Philip Sokoloski told The Epoch Times.
The report found that in 2024, only 23,480 shoot days were recorded, a decline of nearly 50 percent compared to the same period last year. Reality TV shoot days in LA plummeted nearly 46 percent compared to last year because shows moved to cheaper locations.
“Shoot days” refers to the combined total for all film and TV productions within a year.
“Local production levels are affected by what is happening in the industry generally, which is a broadening embrace of film locations outside greater LA alongside a reduction in total content production that has intensified international competition for this work,” Sokoloski said.
The main competitors for film and TV production work, including reality TV episodes, are Southern cities, such as Atlanta, Albuquerque and Austin, according to Lamont Pete, a producer on the Netflix streaming show about the rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is currently incarcerated on federal sex trafficking charges.
“Anywhere with cheap rents and fewer unions,” Pete told The Epoch Times. “Reality TV is attractive because it’s the film industry’s version of fast food. It’s cheap, easy, and no one cares if it’s bad for you. LA priced itself out of that game.”
One area that saw a boost was independent feature film production, which increased 18.8 percent. The FILML.A. study found no large studio projects among those shooting during the fourth quarter of 2024 when there was a 6.2 percent increase in activity.
FILML.A. defines independent productions as those made outside the traditional Hollywood studio system, including Netflix and Amazon, which are now Motion Picture Association (MPA) members.
“Larger studio productions tend to be more reliant on production incentives in order to be greenlit,” Sokoloski said. “Therefore, they tend to migrate to places like the UK where above-the-line talent such as star and director salaries are covered under incentives.”
“Final Wager,” starring Tom Arnold, is among the independent features that was produced in LA last year before it began streaming on Amazon Prime.
Independent film outperformed studio films due to the latter’s lack of originality, according to Scott Hamm Duenas, who was one of “Final Wager’s” producers and actors.
“There’s just nothing groundbreaking coming out anymore from studios that just blows you away and makes you want to go back to the theater five more times to see it,” Duenas told The Epoch Times.
What’s expected to help LA recover its high rank among shooting locations is Gov. Gavin Newsom’s October 2024 proposal that would expand the state’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program to $750 million annually. The current allocation is $330 million annually.
However, half-hour series, unscripted series, and commercials are not eligible for any incentive support in the golden state.
“That support is available elsewhere in other locations so if we want to better compete for these projects, that difference would need to be studied and addressed,” Sokoloski added. “There is real interest from filmmakers in working here if the budget numbers make sense.”
Wildfire Challenges
Although recent fires have posed challenges, Sokoloski notes that it is possible to film outside of those areas.
Wind-fueled wildfires struck certain Los Angeles enclaves on Jan. 7. Since then, some 25 people have died and thousands of homes have been destroyed.
“The fires are not the main reason we are losing production, so we have to continue our focus on other competitive factors,” Sokoloski said.
The report further found that the volume of new filming permit applications was 20 percent of normal even though filming outside of fire-affected areas remains legal and available. The fires are expected to increase the cost of materials used to build movie and television sets, according to Sokoloski.
“There have been media reports of productions being temporarily suspended in or near the burn areas,” he said. “But we have heard of no instance where productions are relocating to other cities or countries because of the fires.”
From The Epoch Times
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