Film, TV Production in L.A. Drops in July

Film and television production on the streets of Los Angeles dropped 13.4% in July from a year ago, a drop stemming from earlier uncertainties over Hollywood labor outlook.

Although studios settled union contracts with actors in July and writers in May, production is expected to take months to return to normal levels. That’s because studios initially accelerated production as a hedge against possible strikes, then cut back after those projects were finished. They also stopped authorizing new work until they could be certain there would be no strikes.

According to figures released by the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. agency, permits for 415 days of shooting were issued in July, compared with 615 a year earlier. TV shoots numbered 677 days, compared with 839.

Overall, the number of shooting days for films, TV shows, commercials and music videos dropped to 1,582 from 1,826. Each day represents one day of filming on a project.