On-Location Filming Declines in Second Quarter

On-location filming of movies, television series and commercials was down in the second quarter, according to figures released Thursday by FilmL.A. The Hollywood nonprofit that coordinates location film permits in Los Angeles, unincorporated Los Angeles County and other jurisdictions handled 8,632 on-location shoot days in April through June, a 4 percent decrease from the same period a year earlier. The one bright spot, FilmL.A. reported, was in scripted television, which showed increases in pilots, one-hour dramas and sitcoms. But the drop in reality programming filmed on-location dragged the entire television category down 1.2 percent overall, to 2,918 shoot days. 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 said the organization would be tabulating soundstage production work this fall and examine demand and opportunities for new local infrastructure investment. “Although our latest report reveals a decline in filming on location, local production facilities tell us that they are operating at capacity,” Audley said in a statement. On-location feature film production decreased by 16.7 percent for the second quarter to 986 shoot days. FilmL.A. said the lack of vacant soundstage space is seen as the main impediment to growth in this category, even though financial incentives exist to bring new projects here. In the television category, sitcoms went up by 3 percent, dramas by 17 percent and pilots by 36 percent. Web-based television shows filming on location went up by 7 percent in the second quarter compared with the same period in the previous year. Only reality programming went down during the quarter to 737 shoot days compared to 879 shoot days in the second quarter of the prior year. On-location commercial production decreased by 19.8 percent in the second quarter to 1,280 shoot days. A tightening market due to consumers’ turn towards streaming services and away from ad-supported entertainment content are thought to play a role in the sector’s downturn, FilmL.A. said.