FilmLA’s latest edition of its annual Scripted Content Study shows how the decline in production in Hollywood’s backyard continued in 2024, as industry and political forces are fighting to reverse that tide in 2026 and beyond.
In the new report published Tuesday, only 157 theatrical films, television shows and movies, and streaming projects shot in Los Angeles County were completed and released in 2024. That’s down 14% from the 183 projects recorded in 2023 and the 228 recorded in 2022 amidst the production backlog caused by COVID.
While the lingering effects of the 2023 strikes played a factor in this downturn, so has the increasing competitiveness of production hubs in other states and countries to attract productions running on tighter and tighter budgets.
In television, for example, the number of released projects shot in Los Angeles dropped from 105 in 2023 to 77 in 2024, while the United Kingdom saw an increase in that same time span from 22 to 39.
While Hollywood remains the leader in global film and TV production, the gap continues to steadily narrow while an estimated 41,000 entertainment jobs in Los Angeles have been lost over the past five years, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In response to this, California lawmakers, pushed by heavy lobbying from entertainment studios and unions as well as the grassroots organization Stay in LA, approved an expansion of the state’s tax incentive program from a $330 million cap to $750 million. Dozens of TV projects have already been approved for the tax credit since its passage, including the third season of Amazon Prime’s “Fallout” and a revival of the 90s lifeguard drama “Baywatch.”
“Ultimately, this study reveals little that California’s creative community does not already understand on a personal level,” observed FilmLA Vice President of Communications Philip Sokoloski. “There are far fewer film projects being made in Los Angeles than there were in the recent past. Expanded options for attracting and retaining film jobs – as enacted this past July — are not only good for California’s economy, they are a critical form of protection for working families.”
With the tax credit secured, FilmLA and local officials are now working to streamline permitting processes to reduce the red tape and excessive fees that have discouraged producers, especially those of independent projects, from working in the area. Among the planned reforms are the introduction of “low-impact” permits, a streamlined permit available to indie productions that have minimal crew sizes and inspection requirements.
