Visit our sister site:
Follow us on
Front Page, Industry News
L.A. production takes downturn
Tuesday April 14th 2009Off-lot feature production in Los Angeles posted its weakest quarter ever during the opening three months of this year amid the threat of an actors strike and the ongoing trend of features shooting outside Hollywood.
First-quarter stats released Monday by permitting agency FilmL.A. showed 903 days of feature shooting, off 56% from the 2008 first quarter and down 14% from the fourth quarter — which set the previous record for lowest production level since record keeping began in 1994.
With the Screen Actors Guild’s negotiations stalemated since mid-summer, the nonprofit organization’s stats also showed that the last three quarters have all registered feature activity levels at less than a third of the highest quarters in 1997. And FilmL.A. president Paul Audley noted that California’s recently approved five-year incentive program won’t lure big- budget features back to the state.
“Most big-budget feature films are not shot locally, and even independent filmmakers are shooting fewer days in our area,” Audley said. “While we applaud Sacramento’s recently passed film incentive, which should help entice independent filmmakers, the $75 million production budget cap means the more expensive studio films will not qualify for the program, which should be expanded if California is to compete with incentive-rich states that have studio and talent infrastructures of their own.”
By contrast, off-lot TV activity remained robust in the first quarter with a 76% jump to 6,274 days — the fifth highest quarter on record — due mostly to the WGA strike, which held down TV in the 2008 quarter. Reality rose 68.7% over Q1 2008, dramas soared 191% to 1,554, while sitcoms increased 49% to 250 and pilots gained 54% to 255.
Audley said the TV gains were expected since most shows went dark during the strike. “Although the strike was settled in mid-February, on-location production didn’t ramp back up until the second quarter,” he added.
Off-lot TV activity edged down a mere 18 days from the fourth quarter.
Commercial production slid 34% to 1,266 days, with FilmL.A. noting that the decline reflected the economy’s slide into recession with curtailed spending on advertising.
Source: Variety
Front Page, Industry News
L.A. production takes downturn
Tuesday April 14th 2009Off-lot feature production in Los Angeles posted its weakest quarter ever during the opening three months of this year amid the threat of an actors strike and the ongoing trend of features shooting outside Hollywood.
First-quarter stats released Monday by permitting agency FilmL.A. showed 903 days of feature shooting, off 56% from the 2008 first quarter and down 14% from the fourth quarter — which set the previous record for lowest production level since record keeping began in 1994.
With the Screen Actors Guild’s negotiations stalemated since mid-summer, the nonprofit organization’s stats also showed that the last three quarters have all registered feature activity levels at less than a third of the highest quarters in 1997. And FilmL.A. president Paul Audley noted that California’s recently approved five-year incentive program won’t lure big- budget features back to the state.
“Most big-budget feature films are not shot locally, and even independent filmmakers are shooting fewer days in our area,” Audley said. “While we applaud Sacramento’s recently passed film incentive, which should help entice independent filmmakers, the $75 million production budget cap means the more expensive studio films will not qualify for the program, which should be expanded if California is to compete with incentive-rich states that have studio and talent infrastructures of their own.”
By contrast, off-lot TV activity remained robust in the first quarter with a 76% jump to 6,274 days — the fifth highest quarter on record — due mostly to the WGA strike, which held down TV in the 2008 quarter. Reality rose 68.7% over Q1 2008, dramas soared 191% to 1,554, while sitcoms increased 49% to 250 and pilots gained 54% to 255.
Audley said the TV gains were expected since most shows went dark during the strike. “Although the strike was settled in mid-February, on-location production didn’t ramp back up until the second quarter,” he added.
Off-lot TV activity edged down a mere 18 days from the fourth quarter.
Commercial production slid 34% to 1,266 days, with FilmL.A. noting that the decline reflected the economy’s slide into recession with curtailed spending on advertising.
Source: Variety
Leave a Reply
Front Page, Industry News
L.A. production takes downturn
Tuesday April 14th 2009Off-lot feature production in Los Angeles posted its weakest quarter ever during the opening three months of this year amid the threat of an actors strike and the ongoing trend of features shooting outside Hollywood.
First-quarter stats released Monday by permitting agency FilmL.A. showed 903 days of feature shooting, off 56% from the 2008 first quarter and down 14% from the fourth quarter — which set the previous record for lowest production level since record keeping began in 1994.
With the Screen Actors Guild’s negotiations stalemated since mid-summer, the nonprofit organization’s stats also showed that the last three quarters have all registered feature activity levels at less than a third of the highest quarters in 1997. And FilmL.A. president Paul Audley noted that California’s recently approved five-year incentive program won’t lure big- budget features back to the state.
“Most big-budget feature films are not shot locally, and even independent filmmakers are shooting fewer days in our area,” Audley said. “While we applaud Sacramento’s recently passed film incentive, which should help entice independent filmmakers, the $75 million production budget cap means the more expensive studio films will not qualify for the program, which should be expanded if California is to compete with incentive-rich states that have studio and talent infrastructures of their own.”
By contrast, off-lot TV activity remained robust in the first quarter with a 76% jump to 6,274 days — the fifth highest quarter on record — due mostly to the WGA strike, which held down TV in the 2008 quarter. Reality rose 68.7% over Q1 2008, dramas soared 191% to 1,554, while sitcoms increased 49% to 250 and pilots gained 54% to 255.
Audley said the TV gains were expected since most shows went dark during the strike. “Although the strike was settled in mid-February, on-location production didn’t ramp back up until the second quarter,” he added.
Off-lot TV activity edged down a mere 18 days from the fourth quarter.
Commercial production slid 34% to 1,266 days, with FilmL.A. noting that the decline reflected the economy’s slide into recession with curtailed spending on advertising.
Source: Variety
Leave a Reply
Advertisements
