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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Labor Issues Boost Location Filming

Uncertainty created by contract negotiation between the actors union and the major Hollywood studios led to an increase in on-location filming between April and June. The number of days production companies worked on location increased in the second quarter to 17,375, a 26 percent boost over the same period in 2007, according to stats compiled by FilmLA. FilmLA is a not for profit that coordinates the permitting process for on-location feature film, television, and commercial shoots in the city of Los Angeles, unincorporated Los Angeles County, five other municipalities, two school districts and the Angeles National Forest. Its numbers do not include filming taking place on studio soundstages and lots. Television production for sitcoms, dramas and unscripted programming jumped by more than 50 percent to 8,469 permitted days as compared to the 5,387 permitted days the year before. Typically the second quarter is slow for television production because many shows go on hiatus, said Todd Lindgren, vice president of communications for FilmLA. “This year, in reaction to past and possible labor actions, production companies have skipped, shortened or shifted their breaks, and that has helped send our quarterly numbers skyward,” Lindgren said. Feature film production was at 2,746 permitted days for the quarter, or 9 percent higher than the same period in 2007. It was the category’s strongest quarterly performance since 2001.

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