Filming in L.A. in 2024 Was the Lowest It’s Been in Three Decades*
The Los Angeles fires are shuttering many Hollywood productions at a time when shoot days were already at their lowest levels in at least three decades (not counting the COVID year).
FilmLA released its 2024 On-Location Production Report on Wednesday, January 15 — it’s not a pretty picture out there. Filming days in LA County last year were not only slightly down from the strike-addled 2023, but they were the second-lowest on record. Only 2020, which was basically wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had fewer overall shoot days in Los Angeles County than 2024; FilmLA’s records date back to 1995, when the organization first started tracking “permitted production days.” (The term was changed to “shoot days” in 2010).
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In all, on-location shoots in Los Angeles County in 2024 totaled 23,480 days, 5.6 percent lower than 2023. That number was actually helped by a relatively strong Q4 in 2024 of 5,860 shoot days, which was up 6.2 percent year-over-year. Feature film production in particular saw a steep increase last quarter, as did scripted TV dramas and comedies. Reality television saw another steep decline that has continued now for nine straight quarters.
“As we await signs of continuing business growth in 2025, it is important we recognize that no aspect of life in Greater Los Angeles is unaffected by recent fire events and the heartbreaking loss of lives, homes, businesses and cherished community spaces,” said FilmLA President Paul Audley. “Many who participate in the region’s entertainment economy are directly affected by this tragedy; and many places beloved by nationwide audiences may never return to the screen.“
The fires have resulted in numerous scripted and unscripted projects to be delayed until further notice. Natural disasters aside, the lower costs of doing business out of state and overseas already had the LA film community struggling.
For the week of January 6-12, which is when the fires began, FilmLA logged 132 shoot days for the period. The number was about half as many shoot days as the same week in 2024, but the real number is probably even worse. FilmLA counts a shoot day if there’s an active filming permit that was issued at the time the report is processed, but FilmLA has no way of knowing if the permitted shoot took place, a rep for the organization informed IndieWire. So in the event of the fires, which unexpectedly postponed filming for part of the week, it is likely that fewer projects actually shot as permitted than even the data suggests.
Filming is still permissible in most areas outside of evacuation areas, but new permit applications are coming in at about 20 percent of the normal expected rate. Things are likely going to stay slow for another week or two.
But FilmLA sees two silver linings. For one, feature film production overall in 2024 was up 18.8 percent compared to 2023, though still down from its five-year average by 27.6 percent. A lot of that is indie film production, a good sign for the other health of the industry across all features. Another reason for optimism is California Governor Gavin Newsom calling for a rise in the state’s filming tax credit cap from $330 million to $750 million. The influx in tax dollars can’t come soon enough.
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