On-location film production in Greater Los Angeles saw a strong start this year, setting a new first quarter record with 9.832 Shoot Days (SD), new data from FilmLA revealed. The last time FilmLA reported such high filming levels from January through March was in 2016, with 9.725 SD. “The potential for another Covid-related cutback had us eyeing the first quarter with concern. But with strong protective protocols in place, the industry was in a good position to weather the post-holiday Omicron surge,” commented Paul Audley, President of FilmLA.
Though the pace of production slowed somewhat compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, industry output was much higher in early 2022 than it was in the prior year, when the spread of the Delta variant led to a voluntary filming hiatus that slowed production to just 7.011 SD. Filming activity in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 40.2% over the same period in 2021.
Driving the increase, once again, is the Television category (up 18.7% over the same period last year to 4.470 SD), especially the TV Drama and TV Reality categories.
Episodic dramas were down -12.3% year-over-year compared to 2021 (1.279 vs. 1.459 SD) but still 8.6% above the five-year category average. TV Drama series that filmed locally include “American Horror Stories” (FX), “Little America” (Apple TV+), “Perry Mason” (HBO), “Promised Land” (ABC/Hulu), “S.W.A.T.” (CBS), and “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max).
According to FilmLA, the California Film & Television Tax Credit program, overseen by the California Film Commission, is a significant driver of local TV Drama activity. Episodic TV Dramas participating in this program generated 499 SD for the quarter — representing 39% of all activity in the category.
Growth continues in the TV Reality category, with a 71.7% quarterly increase (2.600 vs. 1.514 SD) and 139% gain over the five-year category average. TV Reality projects that filmed locally include “Basketball Wives,” “Celebrity IOU,” “Family or Fiancé,” and “People Magazine Investigates.”
TV Comedy production increased by 8.4% (259 vs. 239 SD) compared to the same period last year, but the category lags its five-year average by -45.5%. Series in this category included “Hacks” (HBO Max), “Home Economics” (ABC), “Made for Love” (HBO Max), and “Rutherford Falls” (Peacock).
The TV Pilot category witnessed a steeper decline of -38.1% (60 vs. 97 SD), and an even greater loss of -68.9% compared to the five-year average. Because LA remains a destination of choice for television producers, analysts believe the decrease is due to changes in the way straight-to-series television projects are permitted.
Although generally less beneficial from a job creation standpoint, FilmLA’s “Other” production category – which primarily consists of still photography shoots and student films, but also includes music & industrial videos, documentaries, and miscellaneous categories of production – posted a 115.1% gain year over year (3.608 vs. 1.677 SD), and a 17.7% increase over the five-year average. Meanwhile, filming of television and internet Commercials finished up 16.8% over the first quarter of 2021 (1.160 vs 993 SD), but down -17.4% versus the five-year average.
Despite a slight uptick in Feature Film production compared to last year (594 vs. 575 SDs), the sector remains -25.2% below its five-year category average. Locally filmed projects include “Home Delivery,” “Love Me to Death,” “Rooming with Danger,” and Netflix’s “Me Time.” Projects connected to the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program generated 26 SD for the quarter, or 4.4% of all project activity.