FilmLA, partner film office for the City and County of Los Angeles and other local jurisdictions, has issued a report which found that overall TV production in Greater Los Angeles slipped five percent in the year’s third quarter to 5,048 Shoot Days (SD). The lackluster quarter was the weakest so far in 2024, and surprising for its failure to meet or exceed numbers shared at this time a year ago. In 2023, a double industry strike had for the most part paused most scripted production.
Scripted television producers logged 758 SD last quarter across the economically important TV drama, TV comedy, and TV pilot categories tracked by FilmLA. Recent rates of change in these categories are made meaningless by last year’s strike-related shutdowns. Feature film production, some of which continued during the strikes, rose by 26.6 percent last quarter, to 476 SD. These developments brought some relief to L.A.-based cast and crew, local studio operators and industry vendors. All have wondered since January when work would pick up following last year’s overlapping challenges. Industry output and employment, unfortunately, continues to fall short of expectations set during the post-COVID, streaming bubble era. For every category of scripted production tracked by FilmLA, current levels trail their adjusted five-year averages on both a per-quarter and year-to-date basis.
“Only a few months ago, the industry hoped we’d see an overall on-paper gain in the third quarter, due to the strike effect,” said FilmLA president Paul Audley. “Instead, we saw a pullback and loss of forward momentum, heading into the fall season that will make or break the year.”
Unscripted production has been declining in L.A. Last quarter, TV reality production fell 56.3 percent to 946 SD. The 1,220 SD summer drop in reality production was so steep, that it more than accounts for the entire loss seen in aggregate across all filming categories (5,311 SD in Q3 2023, vs. 5,048 in Q3 2024).
The production of television and web-based commercials in Greater Los Angeles rose by 7.4 percent last quarter (to 814 SD). While it was the first time commercial production grew year-over year in any quarter since 2022, levels still trail their five-year adjusted averages for the period and year-to-date. Brands featured in recent commercials included: Adobe, Amazon, AMEX, Google, L’Oreal, Microsoft, Sketchers, Starbucks, Subway, and The Farmer’s Dog.
FilmLA has recently voiced support for the expansion of California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program, to build upon the program’s current success. This summer several series were filming their first season in Greater Los Angeles because they qualified for the state filming incentive, including: Forever, High Potential, Matlock, and Orphan.
These were joined by the longer running incentivized series Paradise City, S.W.A.T., and The Rookie. Nearly a quarter (24.4 percent) of all Q3 Shoot Days recorded for TV dramas (or 164 SD) came from incentive-linked projects.
“California’s film incentive is a proven jobs creator that studies show provides a net positive return on every allocated dollar,” said Audley. “What the program lacks is funding and eligibility criteria that reflect the outputs of the industry in 2024. The program’s structure and management through the California Film Commission–these are excellent. But just as our competitors continue to innovate, California must do the same.”
FilmLA’s “Other” category, which aggregates smaller, lower-cost shoots such as still photography, student films, documentaries, music and industrial videos and other projects, declined 0.6 percent (to 1,941 SD) for the quarter.
