Los Angeles is seeing a steady decline in the number of scripted projects filmed in the area, as U.K.-based shoots increase, according to a new report.
Last year, 157 scripted projects were filmed in L.A., down 14.2% compared with 2023, according to an analysis by FilmLA, a nonprofit that tracks production in the greater Los Angeles area.
The report defines scripted projects as television shows, including streaming, cable and broadcast series, as well as movies made for TV, theatrical release and streaming platforms.
Part of the problem is that the number of scripted projects decreased overall last year, a result of the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023, which stymied production, as well as cutbacks at studios after massive spending to stock their streaming platforms with content. In 2024, the total number of scripted projects released was 857, down 13.4% from 2023.
L.A.’s share last year of those scripted projects also declined slightly. About 18.3% of scripted projects were made in the L.A. region in 2024, compared with 18.5% during the previous year. In 2022, L.A.’s market share was 21.9%.
“Ultimately, this study reveals little that California’s creative community does not already understand on a personal level,” FilmLA Vice President of Communications Philip Sokoloski said in a statement. “There are far fewer film projects being made in Los Angeles than there were in the recent past.”
To be sure, L.A. still largely has more scripted projects than other locales. But places such as the U.K. are seeing steep increases in the number of projects filming there.
Last year, 39 total scripted TV series were filmed in the U.K., a 77.2% increase compared with 2023 — a significant upswing, particularly as popular filming locales such as Georgia, New York, Ontario, Canada and British Columbia all saw decreases last year in that category.
The U.K. also saw increases in filming for streaming series (up 81.3% to 29 shows) and cable shows (up 66.7% to 10 series), as well as streaming movies (up 23.1% to 16 films). Its share of theatrical movies, however, declined 38.5% to 16 films.
By comparison, 77 total scripted TV series were filmed in L.A. last year, a decrease of 26.7%, according to the report. Broken down, the region saw declines in filming for streaming series (down 24.5% to 37 shows), cable shows (down 57.7% to 11 programs) and a slight decrease in broadcast shows (down 3.3% to 29).
L.A. did better in theatrical release movies, with 25 films shot in the region last year, up 19%, and streaming movies, up 70.6% to 29 films. Original TV movies filmed in L.A. were down 35% to 26 films.
In the report, FilmLA noted that the effects of the state’s revamped film and TV tax credit program, which was bolstered earlier this year, would not be reflected in filming data until later next year. Hollywood studios, unions and insiders had fiercely lobbied for an increase to the annual amount allocated to the production incentive program and an expansion of eligibility criteria, citing the impact of runaway production on local jobs.
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