82.1 F
San Fernando
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
Array

Location Shooting Up in Los Angeles

On-location filming in the Los Angeles area increased 9.6 percent last year with television dramas showing the biggest leap, according to a report released Tuesday by FilmL.A. However, the positive numbers were tempered by a continued slide in feature film production of 3.2 percent compared to 2013, according to the Hollywood non-profit group that handles film permits in the city and unincorporated county. The statistics track on-location filming of television series, feature films, commercials, web videos, music videos and student projects – but not work on studio lots or soundstages. Television was the bright spot for on-location filming with an overall increase of 12.2 percent in shoot days. One-hour dramas recorded the highest jump at 28 percent, followed by television pilots with a 15.4 percent increase. Sitcom filming was down 26.7 percent. The report concluded that the state’s film and television tax credits played a big part in keeping television production in the Los Angeles area. Out of 26 cable series filming in the state last year, half received the tax credit. Commercial filming also increased 9 percent, with commercials made for web distribution growing in particular. “Increased broadband connectivity, coupled with the proliferation of smartphones, tablets and other media consumption devices, has created promising new opportunities for online advertising,” the report said. The report is the first to use “shoot days,” or one crew’s permission to film at one or more locations during a 24‐hour period, rather than “permitted production days,” or a crew’s permission to film at a single location, in determining on-location filming. FilmL.A. President Paul Audley said the group has been working for six months on the new film production tracking system, including revising past statistics. “The new system – which we built in consultation with our board’s research advisory group – will make it easier to compare data from FilmL.A. and other jurisdictions,” Audley said in a prepared statement.

Mark Madler
Mark Madler
Mark R. Madler covers aviation & aerospace, manufacturing, technology, automotive & transportation, media & entertainment and the Antelope Valley. He joined the company in February 2006. Madler previously worked as a reporter for the Burbank Leader. Before that, he was a reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago and several daily newspapers in the suburban Chicago area. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Featured Articles

Related Articles