On-location production of commercials in the City of Los Angeles, unincorporated parts of L.A. County and other local jurisdictions declined 7.5 percent in the second quarter of 2011 as compared to the same period last year–1,484 permitted production days (PPD) in April-June of this year versus 1,604 for the same period in 2010. This decrease ended what had been a 21-month surge in on-location spot lensing.
The downturn in commercials contributed to an overall stall in on-location production in Greater L.A. which collectively increased just 1.1 percent in the second quarter of ’11 as stacked up against the Q2 performance of ’10.
The quarterly findings were tallied and reported on by FilmL.A., the not-for-profit community benefit organization that coordinates permits for filmed entertainment shot in much of the L.A. area.
Production in the TV category dropped 0.7 percent in the second quarter (4,024 vs. 4,052 PPD), led by losses in sitcoms (down 29.4 percent) and TV reality (down 12.9 percent) subcategories. The TV pilots subcategory was up 4.5 percent.
The TV drama subcategory (up 26.6 percent) had a surprisingly robust quarter due to heavy reliance by shows such as Hawthorne and Sons of Anarchy on uncertified soundstages for extended periods. Within FilmL.A.’s service areas, filming anywhere other than a certified soundstage or studio backlot requires a film permit.
On-location theatrical feature production increased four percent (1,604 vs. 1,542 PPD). Unlike every other quarter since July 2009, this past quarter the California Film & Television Tax Credit had only minor impact on local feature production totals. In 2009/2010, the state doubled its $100 million annual allocation to encourage filming in California. With less assistance available this year, only five incentivized feature projects filmed on-location in Los Angeles this past quarter, generating 117 PPD, or 7.3 percent of overall feature production. By comparison, the same quarter in 2010 saw 16 incentivized feature projects shooting locally, generating 423 PPD and 27 percent of feature production.
“We expect to see features get a boost as a new crop of incentivized projects hits the streets,” said Paul Audley, president of FilmL.A. “Unfortunately, the momentum we carried in television may be gone. A lot of the new shows you’ll see this fall won’t be filming in California. As a result, we’re expecting a lackluster second half of the year for TV.”
SUPERLATIVE Signs Director Claudia Abend For Spots and Branded Content
Latin American director/editor and documentary filmmaker Claudia Abend has joined SUPERLATIVE for her first U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content.
Abend's empathetic docu-style POV has garnered several international awards for the documentary films Hit (2008) and The Flower of Life (2018). Her spotmaking credits include such brands as Procter & Gamble, Nestle and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. SUPERLATIVE has already worked with Abend, together producing a new ad campaign for digital agency Tinuiti and The Honest Company, a consumer goods corporation featuring eco-minded products.
“We found Claudia through her poignant documentaries on the festival circuit,” said SUPERLATIVE creative manager Stefan Dezil. “We are excited about her textured narratives, emotional storytelling, and her powerhouse long-form storytelling abilities, currently on her third feature film. As SUPERLATIVE continues to build our brand after premiering our latest films at Sundance and SXSW, Claudia is the kind of multidimensional artist we are excited to partner with on branded content and beyond. Fluent in English and Spanish, her reel shows real prowess with infants, food and skin products, families both young and old. Great visual storytelling and inspirational doc work.”
Abend began her career in her native Uruguay, studying film and editing in college. “My dad would show me films like Citizen Kane,” she said. “I love cinema and became an editor. It was here that I learned all about communicating human emotion.”
From the get-go, Abend hit it big as a documentary director, teaming with Adrianna Loeff on Hit, a movie chronicling pop artists of Uruguayan music. Abend took home a Best Editing... Read More