Los Angeles Film Production Bounces Back In Q4, But 2024 Down 5.6%, FilmLA Says

There's finally some good news about film production in Los Angeles.

Shooting days in greater Los Angeles increased 6.2% from October to December after 11 consecutive quarters of year-over-year declines, the city and county film permitting office said today.

FilmLA said today that most of the production genres it tracks posted gains in the fourth quarter, with the exception of reality TV. But fourth-quarter gains couldn't offset the full-year contraction, with total annual production ending the year 5.6% below strike-hit 2023. Overall, 2024 was the second-least productive year for Los Angeles production, surpassed only by the COVID-stricken 2020.

The highlights of FilmLA's latest report were in the feature film production category, which jumped 82.4% in the fourth quarter — a gain analysts attribute to independent film activity — and is up 18.8% for all of 2024. But the sector still lags behind the five-year average by 27.6%.

Production of scripted TV dramas also increased significantly in the fourth quarter of 2023, when Hollywood's double whammy brought the sector to a standstill. The TV drama category doubled its annual production compared to 2023, but is still 36.6% below its five-year average.

FilmLA is defined as permission from one crew to film in one or more specified locations during any 24-hour period. The five-year average reported by the permit office excludes 2020, when the pandemic distorted all historical comparisons.

See Q4 numbers by category here and more charts below:

The continued decline in reality TV production in Los Angeles was among the most disappointing developments of 2024. Filming days in the sector fell 45.7% for the fourth quarter — the ninth straight quarterly decline — and ended the year down nearly 46%, which… More than 43.1% below its five-year category average.

“As we await signs of continued business growth in 2025, it is important to recognize that there is no aspect of life in the greater Los Angeles area that has not been impacted by the recent fire events and devastating loss of lives, homes, businesses and cherished community spaces,” FilmLA President Paul Audley said in a statement. . “Many of those involved in the region’s entertainment economy are directly affected by this tragedy, and many venues beloved by audiences nationwide may never return to the screen.”

The new year promises to be a pivotal year for the state's signature industry, with Gov. Gavin Newsom calling for an expansion of California's film and television tax credit program from $330 million to $750 million annually.