Location Filming Declines by Half in Third Quarter

On-location filming dropped by more than 50 percent in the third quarter, with reality television showing the only bright spot, according to figures released Wednesday by FilmL.A.The Hollywood nonprofit that coordinates location film permits in Los Angeles, unincorporated Los Angeles County and other jurisdictions handled 4,199 on-location shoot days from July through September.

That compares to 9,226 shoot days in the same period a year earlier.Television shows filming on-location were particularly hard hit, with a decrease of 51.3 percent in the third quarter compared to a year ago. The organization tallied 1,799 TV shoot days in the quarter, compared to 3,691 in the previous year.Within the television category, only reality television production went up during the quarter, increasing by 10.3 percent to 1,159 shoot days. Pilots, dramas, web-based programs and comedies all decreased.Feature film production decreased by 64.1 percent to 352 shoot days during the third quarter.A shoot day is one crew’s permission to film at one or more locations during a 24-hour period. FilmL.A.’s data does not include activity on soundstages or studio backlots.“With Reality TV and commercials (down 41.2 percent to 782 shoot days) together accounting for 46 percent of all filming on-location, the local film industry’s road to recovery hinges on a planned October restart for scripted television and feature projects of scale,” the organization said in a statement.FilmL.A. President Paul Audley said the stage is set for a return of film and television production to the local economy.“L.A. loves film, and there is a real enthusiasm to see this work come back, plus real effort on the part of the industry and local public health authorities to see that it does so with care for public health,” Audley said in a statement.Audley emphasized the use of testing, sanitation and personal protection equipment for keeping film shoots safe and added that even while exercising all due caution, some productions may be shut down for the sake of worker safety.“None of this is incompatible with the county’s road to recovery,” Audley said in the statement. “This is a system set up by conscientious people, working as designed for the protection of greater L.A.”