Film, TV and commercial shooting rose 5 percent year-to-year in the first quarter, accoring to non-profit permitting group FilmL.A.
It's the fifth straight quarter that the region recorded gains after a bottoming-out in the recessionary year of 2009.
Here's the full FilmL.A. announcement:
First Quarter Sees Five Percent Growth in On-Location Filming in L.A.
Key Film Industry Indicators Dip as Small Projects Drive Single-Digit Gain
LOS ANGELES – April 5, 2011 – FilmL.A. — the not-for-profit community
benefit organization that coordinates permits for filmed entertainment shot on-location in
the City of Los Angeles, unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County
and other local jurisdictions — today announced that on-location filming across all
categories increased 4.7 percent in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same
period in 2010. It was the fifth consecutive quarter of production gains recorded for the
region, although the bulk of the observed growth in permitted production days (PPD)*
occurred outside the most closely watched categories — Features, Television and
Commercials production.
Production of Commercials increased 2.4 percent in the first quarter of 2011 vs. the
same period in the prior year (2,083 in 2011 vs. 2,034 PPD in 2010). The category
appears to be winding down from an eighteen-month surge that last year delivered a
record year-over-year increase and a return to 2006 filming levels.
Production in the Television category dropped 3.7 percent in the first quarter (4,701 vs.
4,881 PPD) led by losses in the Television Reality (down 6.4 percent) and Television
Drama (down 2.6 percent) production subcategories, among others.
The typically modest Television Sitcoms category (up 77.3 percent) benefited from a
creative shift toward single-camera comedy shows that pull film permits. Production of
Television Pilots also grew slightly over the last three months (up 4.7 percent).
FilmL.A. tracked eight television projects claiming a California Film & Television Tax
Credit this past quarter; these projects contributed 100 PPD to Television category
totals.
On-location Feature production declined 5.3 percent (880 vs. 929 PPD).
Notwithstanding the direct and measurable impact of the California Film & Television
Tax Credit, the feature film category remains weak. Ten incentivized feature projects
filmed on-location in Los Angeles this past quarter, contributing 135 PPD; the state
credit now fuels 15 percent of Feature category totals.
– MORE –
With Features and Television down and Commercials growth slowing substantially, the
majority of the increases in local filming are coming from less economically significant
industry sectors. Production of music videos, industrial videos, student films and other
miscellaneous projects is up 21.5 percent (3,940 vs. 3,243 PPD), contributing the bulk
of the quarter’s total PPD growth.
“The latest data suggest a softness in the industry, but not a full loss of momentum,”
said FilmL.A. Chair Ed Duffy. “Pilot production is up and we have a couple big features
in production, so we’re optimistic about a better set of numbers come July.”
