Los Angeles on-location production for the second quarter totaled 4,711 shoot days, down 13% from the year before and off from 5,121 days in Q1, according to a new snapshot by FilmLA.
But television, the biggest driver of overall activity, was a bright spot, rising 34% from Q1 with 1,607 shoot days for the three months ended in June. Year-over-year, however, the category fell 28%, with Reality TV accounting for much of the drop. TV dramas were down just 6.4% from the year before and up 55% from Q1. Read the full report here.
Incentivized productions now account for 38.3% of the shoot days in the category. Reboots of Baywatch (Fox) and Prison Break (Hulu) and returning seasons of Ballard (Amazon), Bosch: Start Of Watch (MGM+) and The Night Agent Season 4 (Netflix) were on-location dramas that filmed in Q2. Other shows included Hacks and California Film and TV Tax Credit recipient The Pitt.
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The stats released Thursday by nonprofit FilmLA Research examine regional filming activity with an eye on sweetened state incentives. To date, 170 projects have been awarded tax credits through the revised California Film & TV Tax Credit Program, including the latest batch of 41 new film projects announced in July. Many will film in Greater Los Angeles.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the expanded incentives into law a year ago. The latest batch of project recipients were announced earlier this month including an untitled Pixar project, Ben Affleck’s upcoming Gingerbread Men, the Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones-starring animated Hexed from Disney, and DreamWorks’ Eddie Murphy-led Donkey
Feature films saw 443 shoot days, a 20% dip year on year. Some 33% were from state incentivized projects. The productions were mostly independent including Chester’s Awakening, Kill Royale, They Know and The Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones.
Projects that film on location, as opposed to on soundstages, will appear in FilmLA permit records once they enter production.
FilmLA CEO Denise Gutches said scripted television production supports more industry jobs than any other category and that “helping to attract these types of productions is an important step towards bringing filming back to the region, restoring jobs, and strengthening our local production economy.”
TV Comedy projects had 57 shoot days, down 43% from the year before. Most local TV comedy production is stage-based and not accounted for in FilmLA research. More than a third were incentivized productions. Comedies shooting locally included Shrinking and The Studio (Apple TV+) and Peacock’s The Paper Season 2.
“While there is still much work to do, FilmLA’s quarterly report is proof that incentives are working: local incentivized productions are on the rise, creating good-paying union jobs and realizing economic opportunity for Angelenos,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. She said she continues to push for an un-capped tax credit that includes above-the-line spend, as well as an elusive federal film incentive.
The TV Reality category fell 40% in Q2 from the year before with 676 shoot days but picked up vs 463 days in Q1. Recent enhancements to California’s tax credit program broadened eligibility to include this category. Schooled! by Jimmy Kimmel was the first to receive the credit.
Other reality and game shows shooting last quarter included American Idol (ABC), America’s Got Talent (NBC), Love Thy Nader (Freeform) and The Valley Persian Style (Bravo!).
Commercial shoot days fell 21% year-on-year to 543 featuring spots for Amazon, Cal Lotto, Progressive and Sketchers and as for auto makers Ford, Hyundai, Lexus, Mazda and Toyota.
Still photo shoots, student films, documentaries, short films, online content and music and industrial videos — repping the category “other” – had 2,118 shoot days, down from Q1 but up 10% from a year ago. Some of these can take advantage of FilmLA’s Low Impact Pilot Program, which offers reduced permit fees and more accessible and affordable filming permits.