Film Activity Up a Bit in 2018

Double-digit growth in on-location film, television dramas and pilots contributed to a modest overall increase in filming production last year, 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 38,795 on-location shoot days during all of 2018, a 1.3 percent increase from the previous year. Three of the four categories the group tracks all had shoot days go up last year, with feature films the highest at 12 percent to 4,377 shoot days. On-location television production decreased by 5 percent to 14,466 shoot days. But out of the television category, dramas and pilots went up by double digits. Dramas increased by 11 percent to 4,848 shoot days last year. Pilots increased by 15 percent to 508 shoot days. On-location filming of comedies, reality programing and web-based series all decreased. 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. FilmL.A. President Paul Audley again credited the state’s production tax incentives for creating an environment conducive to more filming in the Los Angeles region. “The return of jobs and businesses in the film industry is great news for our region and we look forward to a great 2019,” Audley said in a statement. Commercial production also went up during 2018 with a 9 percent increase to 6,033 on-location shoot days.