On-location TV production dips in second quarter, but film shoots rise
The Los Angeles region saw a decline in overall on-location production during the recent second quarter as TV shoots fell while feature film activity saw an uptick.
A report published Wednesday by Film L.A. showed that on-location TV shoots dropped 15.1% during the second quarter from the same period a year ago. The decline was driven in part by TV drama series, many of which were on hiatus during the quarter.
For the record:
3:50 p.m. July 18, 2018An earlier version of this article said the L.A. region had 9,724 on-location shoot days last year. It had 9,466 on-location shoot days.
Reality TV shoots also dropped significantly, declining nearly 32% for the quarter. Reality shows that shot in the L.A. region during the period include NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and “American Ninja Warrior.”
Overall, the L.A. region saw a 5.2% decline in on-location film activity for the quarter, according to the report. The region saw a total of 8,978 shoot days for the period, down from 9,466 shoot days a year ago.
The report only measures on-location production occurring in local neighborhoods, not filming that takes place on certified sound stages.
On-location movie shoots rose 11% during the period, helped by projects that received California tax incentives. Film L.A. said movies receiving state tax credits contributed 11.3% of movie shoot days.
Among the movies that shot in the L.A. area during the quarter were Disney’s “Captain Marvel,” starring Brie Larson, and Sony’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which is the latest movie from Quentin Tarantino.
The Netflix movie “Wine Country,” directed by Amy Poehler, also filmed extensively around L.A. during the quarter.
Production for TV comedy series also rose during the period, with a 23% rise in the number of on-location shoot days. Comedy series that filmed locally during the quarter include HBO’s “Ballers,” starring Dwayne Johnson, and Showtime’s “I’m Dying Up Here.”
“This report contains good news, but it also shows that L.A. has to stay in the fight to keep jobs and revenue where they belong,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement.
California recently extended tax incentives for film and TV production by five years to 2025. The program will maintain the $330 million in annual tax credits handed out to selected productions, but it includes more tax credits for independent films and other incentives.
Twitter: @DavidNgLAT
UPDATES:
3:35 p.m.: This article was updated with figures for reality TV shoots.
This article was originally published at 3:15 p.m.
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