‘Ray Donovan’ comes to Union Station as local TV shoots accelerate

Actor Liev Schreiber and crew from the new Showtime drama “Ray Donovan” were filming at Union Station in downtown L.A. on Tuesday, joining a surge in local TV production this quarter.

Production days for television shoots jumped 30% last week and are up 29% so far in the second quarter compared with the same time last year, according to a Los Angeles Times review of permit data from FilmL.A. Inc.

Feature production activity also continues to rise, but at a slower pace. Feature production days (from April 1 through Sunday) were 5% higher than the same period a year ago. Commercial activity was up about 11% during the same quarter-to-date period.

ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll

The data track production days for filming that occurs on city and county streets, as well as at non-certified soundstages.

“Ray Donovan” is among the flurry of television shows filming in and around L.A. The Showtime drama began production of 13 episodes in February.

On Tuesday morning, Schreiber and his colleagues congregated in the main tunnel at Union Station, where they were filming a scene as commuters weaved around a cluster of cast and crew.

The drama stars Schreiber as a fixer called to solve the problems of L.A.’s rich and famous while dealing with the tribulations of his own family. Veteran actor Jon Voight stars as the ex-con patriarch of the family unit.

Another new television show filming this week is the ABC Family drama “The Fosters,” from Jennifer Lopez’s production company, about two mothers raising kids. “The Fosters,” produced by Warner Bros., was set to film a chase scene later this week in North Hollywood, according to the film permit.

ALSO:

The Human Centipede crawls back to life in L.A.

Marvel filming most of ‘Captain America’ movie in L.A.

Warner Bros. crime drama ‘Inherent Device’ starts filming in L.A.