Writers strike fears and studio cutbacks cause filming slowdown in Los Angeles
A wave of cutbacks and layoffs at studios, coupled with fears of an impending writers strike, slowed Hollywood production for a third consecutive quarter.
On-location film production in Greater Los Angeles fell 24% to 7,476 shoot days from the same period last year, according to FilmLA, the nonprofit that handles film permits for the city and county. That’s down 17% from the region’s five-year first-quarter average, FilmLA said in a Wednesday report.
The biggest decline was in TV production, which had driven a rebound in the industry in the wake of shutdowns forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Many Hollywood studios have been reining in investments in content and laying off hundreds of workers in an effort to stem losses at their streaming platforms.
The cost-cutting comes as producers engage in talks with writers over pay and working conditions, with members of the Writers Guild of America this week voting overwhelmingly to authorize leaders to call a strike if a deal can’t be reached by May 1.
The uncertainty has made some companies reluctant to start production on shows.
“As companies have cut back on either the amount of shows that they’re doing, or films they’re making, or the number of episodes of those shows, it has reduced overall numbers worldwide,” FilmLA President Paul Audley told The Times. “We’re also seeing some degree of reticence to start in particular television series that may run into labor actions.”
The Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA will enter negotiations over new contracts in May and June.
Audley said local businesses reliant on the film industry also are experiencing a slowdown in business.
About a fourth of the television productions in the Los Angeles region during the quarter were recipients of California‘s film and TV tax credit program, which Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to extend this year.
Layoffs, hints of a recession and an uncertain future for streaming add up to contentious negotiations as the WGA looks for a new deal with Hollywood studios.
Among the recent beneficiaries is Amazon Studios’ big-budget spy drama “Citadel,” which will move from the U.K. to L.A. to film its second season and will receive a $25-million state tax credit. The California Film Commission said the show plans to spend $119 million in the region.
“Without the California film tax credit, we would be in extreme stress,” Audley said. He described the renewal of the incentive as “critical.”
Television shoots declined 36% to 2,868 shoot days, which is 24% below the five-year quarterly average. TV dramas fell 40% to 762 shoot days during the period, with productions in the quarter including FX’s “Mayans MC” and HBO’s “The Sympathizer.” About 24% of TV drama shoot days were for productions enrolled in the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program.
TV pilots, which are becoming much rarer with the rise of direct-to-series orders from streaming companies, made up just seven shoot days in the quarter, down 88% from the same period last year.
TV sitcoms such as CBS’ “Young Sheldon” generated the highest year-over-year increase of any television category, up 25% to 324 shoot days.Still, sitcoms came in 22% below their five-year average for production.
Feature film production was little changed from the prior year, with films including Universal Pictures’ “Fast X” helping the region generate 595 shoot days in the first quarter versus 594 the year prior.
Despite ads from Chevron and Walmart filming in L.A., the decline in local filming of commercials continued. Shoot days fell 23% to 899 in the first quarter versus the same period last year. That’s down 33% from the five-year average.
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