On-location film production in Greater Los Angeles slipped 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2015 to 8,707 shoot days, according to a research update from FilmL.A. The not-for-profit organization FilmL.A. serves as the official film office of the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles and other area jurisdictions.
FilmL.A.’s report reflects to what extent L.A. feature production levels are tied to the availability of California state film incentives. Regional feature production decreased 15.4 percent to 926 shoot days in the first quarter of 2015 as compared to the same period the prior year. Feature film projects that qualified for the California State Film & Tax Credit Program in 2014 generated 42 shoot days in the early part of 2015. Without these projects, overall feature levels would have been 4.5 percent lower. State-qualified feature projects included Drive, She Said, Message From the King, Scouts vs. Zombies, and The Perfect Guy.
“We are grateful for the increased production, especially in television, associated with the current tax credit,” said Paul Audley, president of FilmL.A. “We remain hopeful that the region will also see gains in the feature category once the new credit adopted in AB [Assembly Bill] 1839 takes effect in a few months.”
Incentives from the State of California also support local television production. On-location TV production inched ahead 1.7 percent in the first quarter, totaling 3,312 shoot days. Quarterly growth in the TV drama subcategory (up 29.7 percent to 1,058 shoot days) and TV reality subcategory (up 19.8 percent to 1,245 shoot days) offset losses for TV pilots (down 19.4 percent to 257 shoot days), TV sitcoms (down 14.8 percent to 304 shoot days) and Web-based TV (down 12.2 percent to 202 shoot days). The state incentive brought 142 shoot days to Los Angeles, retaining projects like Hit the Floor, Justified, Murder in the First, Stitchers and Teen Wolf. Last quarter, these shows generated 13.4 percent of the shoot days logged in the TV drama subcategory.
Regional on-location commercial production increased 6.2 percent in the first quarter, totaling 1,435 shoot days. Some of the brands filming spots for television and the web in Los Angeles included Best Buy, Bose, Honda, TJ Maxx, Samsung and Yelp!
