Television production activity in the Los Angeles area grew 31.1 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, while feature film production fell 4 percent, according to FilmL.A. figures released today.
FilmL.A., the city-county permit office, logged 5,363 production days for TV projects from July to September in 2014, up from last year’s 4,310 production days.
Increased activity was seen in nearly all television categories, except for sitcoms, which fell 29 percent from 517 permitted production days to 367 PPDs.
Televised dramas, eligible for the state’s incentive program, jumped 43.2 percent, shooting 425 more permitted days than the 983 PPDs of drama shoots in last year’s third quarter, FilmL.A. officials said.
“Rizzoli & Isles,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “Major Crimes,” “Perception” and “Legends” were among the locally shot dramas that qualified for state tax geared to the film industry.
The rise in television production also included reality shows, which grew 49.2 percent from 1,353 PPDs to 2,019 PPDs, while production on web-based shows rose 12.3 percent, from 357 PPDs to 401 PPDs. Pilot shoots occurred over 138 PPDs in the third quarter, a 40.9 percent rise from 98 PPDs in the same quarter last year.
Local feature film production did not fare as well as television, declining 4 percent, with shoots occurring over 1,881 PPDs, compared with 1,959 PPDs in the same quarter in 2013.
Overall feature activity was higher in 2014, however, rising 2.8 percent, from 4,996 PPDs to 5,134 PPDs, during the first nine months of 2014 compared with the same stretch in 2013.
Film projects that received incentives had 157 PPDs and was 8.3 percent of feature production activity. They include “Straight Outta Compton,” “Never Leave,” “Scouts vs. Zombies,” “Into The Further” and “The Perfect Guy.”
“While we are still trying to reclaim our share of television production, we’re encouraged by dramatic television producers’ interest in filming in Los Angeles,” FilmL.A. President Paul Audley said.“With the new tax credit taking effect next July, we see strong potential for growth in local TV work ahead.”
Gov. Jerry Brown recently approved a five-year, $330 million incentive program. It uses a competitive process, rather than a lottery system, for granting tax breaks. While tax incentives to keep shooting companies in the Golden State were increased from $100 million, the pot of money is still less than the $420 million offered by New York City.
The revamped program is set to begin in 2015 and is aimed at keeping film and television productions from getting lured away by incentives offered by other states and countries.
