Film LA’s new report, “Filming On-Location in Los Angeles: 1993-2013” tracks the downward spiral of location filming in the Los Angeles area. There’s been a 50% loss of feature filming since its peak in 1996 and a 39% loss in television production since its peak in 2008. The decline is blamed on lucrative tax incentives offered by other states and countries.
“We wanted to take a look at where we are in relation to where we should be,” FilmL.A. President Paul Audley said. “For example, a number that shows a year-over-year increase could cause people to say we’re on the right trend, but when you look at that long-term trend, we’ve sat on the basement floor and now we’ve come up two or three steps. But we’re still nowhere near where we need to be to be back in the light.”
The Mayor’s office is looking to implement more measures to increase filming opportunities in Los Angeles and this new data will help support their efforts. To that end a new ad hoc panel headed by State Assemblyman Paul Krekorian has been formed to help craft new policy to stem the tide.