Despite Stirs of Recovery, L.A.’s Production Scene Yet to Recapture Former Glory

The Slow Climb Back to Stardom: L.A.’s Entertainment Industry Navigates
Post-Strike Challenges

Summary

• The film and television production scene in Los Angeles is recovering from last year’s strikes, but it has not reached its previous peak.
• Statistics from FilmLA show that the number of location shoot days in the first quarter of 2024 increased by 23% compared to the previous quarter of 2023.
• However, these figures are still 20% lower than the five-year average for this quarter in 2023.
• Even before the strikes, production volumes were already declining.
• Despite the strikes ending five months ago, the industry’s recovery has been slow.
• According to Philip Sokoloski from FilmLA, the production scene in LA is falling short of reaching its highest production levels, particularly in terms of quarterly shoot days.

The film and television production scene in Los Angeles is showing signs of recovery following last year’s industry strikes, yet it hasn’t reached its former peak numbers, as revealed by recent statistics from FilmLA.

In the initial quarter of 2024, the total number of location shoot days saw a rise to 6,823, marking a 23% increase from the preceding quarter of 2023. However, these figures didn’t surpass those of the same timeframe in 2023 and were still 20% less than the five-year average for this quarter.

Even before the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes that largely halted scripted productions across the country last summer, production volumes were on a downward trend. Despite the strikes ending five months ago, the industry’s pace to full-scale operation has been sluggish.

Philip Sokoloski, representing FilmLA, commented on the slow pace of recovery, noting potential timeframes for TV and film productions to ramp back up. Despite the beginning signs of recovery in L.A.’s production scene post-strike, it falls short of reaching its highest production levels, when assessed in terms of quarterly shoot days across various production categories.

FilmLA, responsible for issuing permits for location shoots in the Los Angeles region, provides data that, while excluding soundstage productions, serves as a dependable gauge for broader production trends.

The compiled data spans diverse production forms, including commercials, reality TV, scripted series, feature films, documentaries, and music videos, offering comprehensive insights into the industry’s status.

A closer examination by production type highlighted a resurgence in film and scripted TV production. In contrast, reality TV saw a dip in the first quarter of 2024—interestingly, a segment not directly affected by last year’s strikes. According to Sokoloski, the decline in production is attributed to multiple factors beyond just the strike impact.

He pointed out the contraction within the industry, noting the burst of the streaming content bubble. This has led to a reduced number of episodes being ordered for ongoing productions and numerous show cancellations. Furthermore, there’s been a noticeable shift in commercial production moving to other U.S. regions or abroad, reflecting broader changes in the industry’s landscape.