The volume of TV and Film Production taking place in the Los Angeles area continues to fall, pointing to a long-term migration of this activity away from Hollywood. Earlier this week, a new report was released by FilmLA, a non-profit organization that tracks film and television production activity in the area.
According to the report, shoot days in LA during the first quarter of 2025 declined by 22.4% compared with the same period in 2024. While the Southern California wildfires were certainly disruptive, they had relatively little impact on overall production activity, with a much larger factor being increased competition from other film centers.
TV production work declined by 30.5%, touching all formats including dramas, comedies, and reality shows. Alarmingly, shooting for new pilots was down by a shocking 80.3%. Production on feature films was down 28.9%, while commercials were much less impacted, with only a 2.1% drop from last year.
While it’s tempting to blame most of the decline on January’s wildfires, FilmLA disputed this conclusion because the areas where the wildfires touched down made up only 1.3% of all regional filming. Instead, FilmLA speculates that the primary driver is studios choosing to pull back on new projects because of heightened concerns over profitability and increased competition from other states.
While California Governor Gavin Newsom is taking steps to more than double the state’s Film & Television Tax Credit incentive program, some prominent industry voices, such as Ben Affleck, are openly voicing concerns that it may be too late to reverse the trend.
See also: There’s a Feeling We’re Not in Hollywood Anymore (NY Times)
