Filming in L.A. declines in 1st quarter
It fell 22.24% from January to March 2025, according to FilmLA, a nonprofit that provides on-location film permits within the City and County of Los Angeles. Within the first quarter of 2025, 5,295 Shoot Days took place as opposed to 6,823 Shooting Days the same time in 2024.
The nonprofit looked at the different filming categories and noted a decline in all of them.
Commercial shoots within L.A. fell 2.1% and came 'closest to breakeven.'
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Television production continues to be on the decline. So far this year, only 1,670 Shooting Days were logged, which is a decline of 30.5%. In 2024, 7,716 Shooting Days were tallied for the year. For context, in 2021, television production hit its peak with 18,560 Shooting Days for the year. Within three years this type of filming has fallen 58.4%.
'Each drop reflected the impact of global production cutbacks and California's ongoing loss of work to rival territories,' the report explained.
Production of television dramas declined again by 38.9% with 440 Shooting Days. About 77 of those days, about 17.5%, were tied to the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program.
Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a plan to expand the tax credit program, which incentivizes the production of films and television shows in California, by doubling the credit from $330 million to $750 million.
FilmLA has been a staunch supporter of Newsom's expansion and are hoping to make the program 'internationally competitive' with bills SB630 and AB1138.
'The California Production Coalition estimates that the average location shoot adds $670,000 and 1,500 jobs a day to a local economy. And the County of Los Angeles and Beacon Economics report that there are 10,500 entertainment related businesses in the state,' said FilmLA VP of Integrated Communications Philip Sokoloski.
TV Comedy production declined 29.9% with 110 Shooting Days. Reality Television declined 26.4% with 969 Shooting Days.
'Most TV Comedies are half-hour series, which are currently ineligible for California's film incentive. This makes them rich targets of opportunity for out-of-state competitors,' FilmLA said. 'Unscripted series had been a staple of the L.A. filming economy during the strikes of 2023. Last year's reality plunge delivered an unexpected shock and made 2024 the second-slowest year for filming in Greater L.A.'
The 'other' category, which includes Still Photography, Student Films, Documentaries, Music and Industrial Videos, and other projects, dropped to 20.2% from last quarter.
While many will assume January's Palisades and Eaton Fires caused the downfall, the report noted that the fires had 'only a small effect on L.A. area filming.' The region 'hosted 1,405 Shoot Days over the past four years – or roughly 1.3 percent of all regional filming.'
'Loss of filming opportunity in no way compares to the cost of the Eaton and Palisades Fires in terms of loss of life, resident displacement and property damage,' noted Sokoloski. 'The fires sent many productions scrambling to reschedule shoots and displaced hundreds of industry workers from their homes. But their impact on local filming levels appears to have been temporary.'
About 545 different shoots were within burn zones. Burn areas were 'off-limits' due to City and County orders.Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
Gov. Newsom signs housing legislation overhauling California's landmark environmental law
California lawmakers have approved two new bills that are expected to lead to a significant overhaul of the state's landmark environmental protection law and jump-start the stagnated housing market that has long stymied residents and would-be employers. The major changes to the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, were attached to two bills in a larger $321 billion state budget bill that eventually passed with ease. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the legislation on June 30, which received rare bipartisan support. "This is the most consequential housing reform in modern history in the state of California. Long overdue? Absolutely," Newsom said at a news conference as he signed the legislation. Supporters said the reforms to CEQA's strenuous review process will help improve the state's ongoing housing shortage and chronic homelessness crisis. Some environmental advocates call the move back-door dealmaking. Assembly Bill 130, created by California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, exempts most urban housing projects from environmental review. Another bill, Senate Bill 131, by California state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, waives the environmental restrictions for other buildings, including health clinics, child care, and food banks. Newsom on legislation: 'Too urgent, too important' California has long been considered a national pioneer for environmental action, as changes to its signature impact review law come at a time that may change the landscape within the nation's most populous state. California is estimated to need 3.5 million more housing units than it has. The shortage is one reason people and businesses have fled as housing in popular cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles is unaffordable to the vast majority who want to live and work there. The changes are meant to jump-start housing construction, which has often been strangled by the use of the state's signature 1970 environmental law. Critics say the law is used by groups whose goal is more intent on stopping buildings than sparing the environment. The bills became law after Newsom threatened to reject the state budget passed last week unless there was an overhaul of CEQA, which requires strict reviews of any new development built and its impact on the environment. That process could take months to years, adding expense and uncertainty to projects. For years, these environmental impact studies have often been known to delay and even halt new development due to CEQA, regarded as among the strictest laws of its kind in the United States. During a news conference after signing the laws, Newsom said the matter was "too urgent, too important, to allow the process to unfold as it has for the last generation, invariably falling prey to all kinds of pratfall." 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Baldassare said PPIC statewide polling of California voters in both 2023 and June 2025 revealed that the cost of living and affordable housing are their top two concerns, calling last year's election "a wake-up call." "The idea of reforming CEQA has been around for a long time," Baldassare said. "Our polling indicated that despite the state's strong environmental attributes, they were supportive of reforming CEQA across party lines, and that doesn't happen too often, especially given today's polarization." California budget breakdown: How it impacts your life, from Medi-Cal and education to fires California's environmental law The 54-year-old California statute, signed by then-governor Ronald Reagan, was intended to protect wildlife and natural resources of forests, mountains, and coastal spaces. 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"The high costs devastating our communities stem directly from our extreme shortage of housing, childcare, affordable healthcare, and so many of the other things families need to thrive," Wiener, a Democrat, said in a statement. "These bills get red tape and major process hurdles out of the way, allowing us to finally start addressing these shortages and securing an affordable California and a brighter future." Weiner added that when the economic conditions are right, the state will be prepared "to build a ton of housing," and the structure is in place to facilitate it. 'Connect people to shelter, housing': California Gov. 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New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Downtown Housing Could Rise in California Cities, but Barriers Remain
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Fox News
5 hours ago
- Fox News
Trump admin approves Newsom's request to 'bail him out' of damage left by violent LA riots: SBA
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This violence against ICE must end." Newsom rejected characterizing the violence as "riots" in social media posts or interviews, instead pinning blame for the chaos on Trump and the administration for its immigration policies and "exacerbating" the violence by activating the National Guard. "Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight. He's exacerbated the conditions. He's, you know, lit the proverbial match. He's putting fuel on this fire ever since he announced he was taking over the National Guard, an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act, and we're going to test that theory with a lawsuit tomorrow," Newsom said on June 9 when asked if he would describe the events as "riots" or "peaceful protests." President Donald Trump and Newsom repeatedly traded barbs on social media and during public remarks throughout the protests and riots, with the president arguing Los Angeles would have been destroyed if he had not stepped in. "Incompetent Gavin Newscum should have been THANKING me for the job we did in Los Angeles, rather than making sad excuses for the poor job he has done. If it weren't for me getting the National Guard into Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground right now!" Trump posted to Truth Social on June 12. The violence and protests quelled following the national "No Kings Day" protests on June 14, when Trump simultaneously held a military parade in Washington, D.C., honoring the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. The pair also traded blows in January as Trump slammed Newsom for his leadership amid the devastating wildfires that gripped the Los Angeles area. Trump pinned blame on Newsom for not better preparing to prevent wildfires, while Newsom's office accused Trump of "playing politics" while they focused on ending the devastation. Newsom touted on Monday that his state has "invested billions of dollars to fight fires" and called on Trump "to put his money where his mouth is" and help protect communities from wildfires. "California has done more than our fair share of 'raking' the forests, now the federal government has to do its part to Make America Rake Again. We've invested billions of dollars and treated millions of acres – more than doubling our state investment from when I took office. We're doing all we can to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, will President Trump?" Newsom said, according to his office's press release.
