FilmL.A.–the official film office of the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles and other area jurisdictions–updated its regional on-location filming report. The report showed an unseasonably strong television production yield for the second quarter of 2014, which FilmL.A. attributes to production schedule shifts.
“FilmL.A. is committed to broadening understanding of California film industry trends and practices,” observed FilmL.A. president Paul Audley. “Today’s report illustrates the challenges we sometimes face in interpreting film industry data. It’s crucial that observers understand the losses the region has already suffered, so as to view reported short-term gains with the proper perspective.”
Regional on-location TV production increased 33.7 percent over the prior year, totaling 5,761 permitted production days (PPD). Coincidentally, the category also exceeded its five-year quarterly average by 33.7 percent. FilmL.A. researchers attribute most of the apparent growth to seasonal production shifts, although the California Film & Television Tax Credit also provided a welcome boost to TV dramas. Last quarter, TV was down 9.2 percent.
In sharp contrast to the previous quarter, nearly all TV subcategories posted Q2 increases, among them TV drama (up 58.6 percent to 1,191 PPD), TV reality (up 64.1 percent to 2,550 PPD), TV sitcom (up 5.5 percent to 402 PPD) and Web-based TV (up 3.4 percent to 379 PPD). TV pilot production declined 26.6 percent to 282 PPD.
Television’s weakness in Q1 was driven in part by production delays. Meanwhile, it seems more local crews are working to support the early summer premiere of new and returning shows. This pair of developments helped concentrate production into Q2, with unknown implications for the rest of 2014. FilmL.A. Research is readying a supplemental analysis of local TV drama production for release in early August.
As in quarters past, California’s film incentive contributed significantly to local production yields. Last quarter, fully 43.2 percent of area TV drama production (515 PPD) was generated by state-qualified projects. State-qualified Television projects in L.A. included Legends, Major Crimes, Murder in the First and Teen Wolf.
Feature production declined 5.3 percent last quarter to 1,665 PPD, with exactly 10.8 percent of the category (180 PPD) attributed to projects awarded the California film incentive. State-qualified feature projects included American Sniper, Entourage, Scouts vs. Zombies, and The Purge 2. L.A. feature production levels finished last quarter within 0.1 percent of their five-year rolling average.
“History teaches us how quickly apparent gains in local production can be swept away,” Audley concluded. “Strengthening the programs that make California competitive and attractive for filming is essential to our state’s long-term prosperity.”
