L.A. entertainment production fell last quarter, even as TV started to pick up
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Hollywood production faced another challenging quarter, as on-location shoot days from April to June decreased 6.2% compared with the same time period last year, according to a new report.
The total number of shoot days in the second quarter was 5,394, compared with 5,749 a year ago, according to the nonprofit organization FilmLA, which tracks production in the Greater Los Angeles region. That total is down 32.5% compared with the five-year average.
Production of feature films and commercials were significantly lower than last year. Film production decreased 21.4% to 553 shoot days, while commercial shoots decreased 15.3% to 692 days, FilmLA said.
As Hollywood goes through vast technological, financial and global change, the state’s cornerstone entertainment industry and its workers face a hard reality: Lost jobs may never come back.
The one bright spot was television production, which saw an increase of 17% compared with the same time period last year, with 2,224 on-location shoot days. That’s the highest total since early 2024, though it is still 32.6% lower than the five-year quarterly average, FilmLA said.
Television’s sunnier quarter was helped by production gains for TV dramas (up 9.4%), reality TV (up 29.5%) and pilots (up 364.7%). Production of TV comedies, however, fell 41.5% compared with last year.
Shows such as the ABC procedural “High Potential,” Fox’s “9-1-1,” and Netflix’s “Lincoln Lawyer” all shot in the Greater L.A. region during the second quarter.
The slate, which includes both major studio projects and independent films, is expected to generate more than $302 million in wages for California workers, the commission said.
The report’s “other” category, which includes photo shoots, documentary production, student films, music and industrial videos and online content, saw a decrease of 17.3% compared with the previous year’s quarter.
California’s entertainment industry recently received a lifeline in the form of an expanded state film and TV tax credit and a revamped program that allows more types of productions to apply for incentives.
Recent legislation passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom raised the cap for the film and TV tax credit to $750 million, up from $330 million, a move that Hollywood insiders said would increase the number of productions shot in California and potentially stem the tide of so-called runaway production to other states and countries that offer generous incentive packages.
FilmLA President Paul Audley noted the new legislation in a statement, saying the group was “eager to meet with and work alongside our union partners, our industry, and our community, finding ways to make production in the Greater Los Angeles area as affordable, accessible, and straightforward as possible.”
Last month, the California Film Commission said the latest round of the state’s film and television tax credit program will provide government incentives to 48 upcoming movie projects.
The slate, which includes both major studio projects and independent films, is expected to employ more than 6,500 cast and crew members and 32,000 background performers, measured in days worked. These projects will pay more than $302 million in wages for California workers.
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