FilmL.A.–the official film office of the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles and other area jurisdictions–has updated its regional on-location filming report. The update revealed that while overall film production has declined nearly one percent so far in 2014 (13,265 permitted production days) in 2014 vs. 13,361 PPD in 2013), projects retained with the aid of the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program contribute mightily to regional production yields. This past quarter, fully 25 percent of area Ffature production and 22 percent of area TV drama production was generated by state-qualified projects.
Regional on-location feature production increased 24.2 percent last quarter to 1,588 PPD, a testament to the value of California’s current film incentive. The category outperformed its 5-year quarterly average by 39.4 percent, while still falling thousands of PPD short of its peak in 1996. State-qualified feature projects in L.A. included Entourage: The Movie, Horrible Bosses 2, Los Altos, Me, Him, Her, Night Crawler, and The Zone.
FilmL.A.’s interest in returning feature projects to Los Angeles stems from their significant employment and spending value. Los Angeles officials have repeatedly argued that expanding California’s film incentive would accelerate growth in the features category.
“This report underscores the importance of our work to expand the film and television credit program to create jobs and boost our economy,” observed Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
The television production category, which remains the region’s largest measurable film production driver, finished the quarter down 9.2 percent to 4,624 PPD. Television also underperformed its 5-year quarterly average by 1.9 percent. Nearly all TV subcategories posted declines, among them TV dramas (down 7.9 percent to 1,160 PPD), TV Reality (down 9.1 percent to 1,446 PPD), TV sitcom (down
18.4 percent to 496 PPD) and web-based TV (down 29.7 percent to 379 PPD). TV pilot production increased 1.5 percent to 467 PPD.
FilmL.A. researchers point out that the overall TV decline would have been much+ steeper were it not for the local presence of incentive-qualified TV dramas like Franklin & Bash, Justified, Major Crimes, Murder in the First, Pretty Little Liars, Rizzoli and Isles, Switched at Birth and Teen Wolf.
The commercials category inched up 2.8 percent last quarter to 2,360 PPD, and the “other” category, which includes lower-economic value filming like student film projects, music videos, industrial films, etc., stayed flat with 4,693 PPD.
“This quarter’s report hints at what would be possible if California were to truly step up and compete for new film projects and jobs,” noted FilmL.A. president Paul Audley. “California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program is in its fifth year; just imagine where we could be five years from now if current efforts to expand the state’s incentive program are successful.”
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More