FilmL.A. – the nonprofit organization that coordinates permits for filmed entertainment shot on-location in the City of Los Angeles, unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County and other local jurisdictions – today announced that on-location feature film and commercial production experienced steep declines, while television gains buoyed overall production numbers in the third quarter.
Total permitted days of on-location filming* coordinated by FilmL.A. decreased one percent between July and September 2008, compared to the same period in 2007. In all, the nonprofit recorded 12,948 days of on-location production over the last three months, a modest decline from 13,072 days in the third quarter of 2007. The year-to-date figure for all production is flat, with a gain of 0.4 percent.
The static quarterly and year-to-date totals mask real challenges experienced by certain industry sectors. A closer look at the data reveals that feature production days were down 38 percent for the quarter, a drop influenced by months of uncertainty regarding industry contract matters.
“Most major studio feature films still shooting during the quarter completed production by the end of July, and only a few sought permits to film on-location in August and September,” said FilmL.A. Vice President of Communications Todd
Lindgren.
Year-to-date figures for features show a drop of 4 percent, continuing the category’s downward trend since its peak in 1996. Total annual feature film production days have declined 9 out of the last 11 years. From July through September 2008, permitted days of on-location commercial production dropped 24 percent compared to the same quarter last year. Commercials posted 1,095 production days, down from 1,434 in 2007. Year-todate figures also show a decline of 9 percent, as advertising spending has been cut back as the economy’s strength has waned.
Overall television production saw gains of 17 percent, to 6,959 days from 5,950 days in the third quarter of 2007. Within TV’s sub-categories, television dramas posted the largest gain – up 23 percent. Reality television followed with a 14 percent gain, while sitcoms and pilots dropped 7 percent and 45 percent respectively. Year-to-date overall television production days are up 7 percent.
“Local on-location television production remains strong thanks to reality programming, which is typically not impacted by labor uncertainty and is the primary driver of television production in the region,” said Lindgren. “Roughly half of all television production days are reality shoots,” he added.
About FilmL.A.
Founded in 1995, FilmL.A. is a private, nonprofit organization that coordinates and processes permits for on-location motion picture, television and commercial production under contract to the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and the cities of Diamond Bar, Lancaster, Palmdale, South Gate and The City of Industry. Non-municipal clients include the Angeles National Forest, the Los Angeles Unified School District and Burbank Unified School District.
Ongoing community relations is a key component of the service FilmL.A. provides. The organization works to strike a balance between the needs and interests of the entertainment industry and the neighborhoods affected by on-location production. In today’s highly competitive, global entertainment production market, FilmL.A.‘s services help the Los Angeles region retain its status as the entertainment production capital of the world.
* On-location production figures are based on days of permitted production in the jurisdictions served by FilmL.A. A production day is defined as one crew’s permission to work at one location on one project during a 24-hour period. The figures account for more than 80 percent of all onlocation production in Los Angeles County but do not include production that occurs on certified sound stages or on-location in surrounding jurisdictions. Overall figures include production of feature films, television programs, commercials, documentaries, industrial videos, infomercials, music videos, still photography, student films and miscellaneous production.
