A new study released Tuesday by FilmLA shows that while Los Angeles is still the top film and television production hub in the U.S., other cities and states like Georgia and New York are catching up.
The report, which FilmLA plans to release annually, surveyed around 2,000 feature films and scripted shows produced for theaters, linear TV and streaming in 2021 and 2022. The survey showed that Los Angeles is still the top production hub in the world with 226 productions being filmed in the county in 2021 and 228 in 2022.
But while growth in Los Angeles production remained flat, other hubs saw significant growth from 2021 to 2022. For example, the number of scripted TV shows shot in Georgia increased 42% from 38 in 2021 to 54 in 2022, while the number of productions in the United Kingdom grew 65% from 20 in 2021 to 33 in 2022.
FilmLA attributes this growth to stronger production infrastructure and tax incentive packages. While California legislators strengthened the state’s tax credit program by voting to make it refundable earlier this year, its $330 million program is dwarfed by the $700 million package offered in New York while other states and countries have no caps on their tax credit programs.
“As media companies look to trim their budgets amid Wall Street pressure to lower costs, it can be safely assumed that production centers offering the best balance of these features will become even more desirable to U.S. producers,” the study reads. “California’s less robust incentive and rapidly expanding studio infrastructure in other jurisdictions, will likely limit the Golden State’s ability to attract film and television projects in the future.”
The full report from FilmLA can be read here.
