Film and television production throughout the greater Los Angeles area has failed to rebound from the writers and actors strikes that ended last year.

FilmLA – the Los Angeles agency that handles film permits throughout the city – has reported a 5% drop in film and TV production in the third quarter of 2024. 

The 5,048 total film and TV shoot days was not only a 5% drop from the third quarter of 2023, but a whopping 36.4% drop from the five-year average.

One of the few bright sides of the FilmLA report was that feature film production did rise 26.6% from the third quarter of 2023, but it’s still a whopping 48% below the five-year average.

Commercials for TV and web-based productions did also rise 7.4% from last year, but both television production and reality television production plunged drastically.

Film and television production throughout the greater Los Angeles area has failed to rebound from the writers and actors strikes that ended last year

FilmLA – the Los Angeles agency that handles film permits throughout the city – has reported a 5% drop in film and TV production in the third quarter of 2024

The 5,048 total film and TV shoot days was not only a 5% drop from the third quarter of 2023, but a whopping 36.4% drop from the five-year average

Reality television production tumbled a massive 56.3% from this quarter last year, with a 52.7% drop against the five-year average.

Television production overall fell 18.3%, down also 53.2% from the five-year average over the quarter.

While there were huge increases in TV shooting days due to last year’s strikes, drama was still down 34.4% from the five-year average and comedy was down a staggering 85.7% from the five-year average.

Although the film increases are promising, production is still well behind post-strike expectations.

‘Only a few months ago, the industry hoped we’d see an overall on-paper gain in the third quarter, due to the strike effect,’ said FilmLA president Paul Audley.

‘Instead, we saw a pullback and loss of forward momentum, heading into the fall season that will make or break the year,’ he clarified.

The organization also called for an expansion of California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program to help bolster production.

Several new TV programs such as High Potential, Matlock, Orphan and Forever filmed in Greater Los Angeles largely because they qualified for the credit.

Television production overall fell 18.3%, down also 53.2% from the five-year average over the quarter

Television production overall fell 18.3%, down also 53.2% from the five-year average over the quarter

Although the film increases are promising, production is still well behind post-strike expectations

‘California’s film incentive is a proven jobs creator that studies show provides a net positive return on every allocated dollar,’ Audley added.

‘What the program lacks is funding and eligibility criteria that reflect the outputs of the industry in 2024,’ he continued.

‘The program’s structure and management through the California Film Commission — these are excellent,’ he admitted.

‘But just as our competitors continue to innovate, California must do the same,’ Audley concluded.