On-location shoots in Los Angeles saw a rise in 2015 by 1.3 percent, with buoyed TV production picking up the slack for depressed feature film production, which saw a decrease of 4.2 percent last year, according to a report Tuesday from FilmL.A., the not-for-profit community benefit organization and the official film office of the City and County of Los Angeles.
The organization noted that in the final quarter of the year (October to December), five state incentivized features began production, including The Conjuring 2 and James Franco’s The Disaster Artist.
While reality TV production fell by 8 percent, TV drama productions were up by 19.3 percent as compared to 2014 and TV sitcoms, a smaller category, saw a 100.5 percent jump this past year. The overall TV category posted a net gain of 9.5 percent.
“Television’s importance to Greater Los Angeles can’t be overstated,” noted FilmL.A. president Paul Audley. “Scripted television provides long-term job opportunities and high economic value, so these increases should be celebrated.”
The organization’s “2015 Production Retrospective” also said that the aid of the California Film and Television Tax Credit 2.0 led to the rise in L.A.-based filming. According to FilmL.A., incentive-qualified TV projects generated 7.2 percent of all on-location TV production in 2015.
Commercial production in Los Angeles remained flat last year. For the fourth year in a row, commercials have accounted for more on-location shoot days in Los Angeles than feature films.
