Saturday, October 19, 2013
L.A. Area On-Location Filming Increases 9.5 Percent in Third Quarter
Below the Line: FilmL.A. announced that L.A. area on-location filming increased 9.5 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year. The organization, which serves as the official film office of the City of Los Angeles and surrounding areas, reported 11,792 Permitted Production Days (PPD) in 2013 vs. 10,773 PPD in the same period last year. However, the organization characterized the quarter as one of “modest recovery,” citing a lag in local TV production.
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I knew that many states (like Pennsylvania) had better tax incentives for filmmakers than California did, but I didn't realize it was this drastic of a difference. I wonder why there are so few shows and features that qualify for the state program. What is California failing to offer that other states are? What's crazy to think about is the fact that the tax incentive in other states is so much better than California's that it is worth it for producers to spend huge amounts of money sending their cast, staff, and equipment to another state, and to house their cast and staff in that state for the duration of filming. It seems that the film and television industries are so important to the economic wellbeing of the state of California that something would (and should) have been done about this sooner. Though the state really shouldn't have to be playing catch-up right now, at least progress is being made.
I'm shocked from reading this that California doesn't get as much business in the Television and Movie industry. States around the country are trying to offer better tax incentives to get the business of that production because it typically brings a ton of business to that area. I believe that because everything is typically thought of as being shot in California companies want to branch away and film in more diverse areas. California is no longer the top choice for filming because there are so many other great places that can be more affordable to shoot. Cities around the country are starting to attract more business and take away from California. The article said that production would have to increase 125 percent to reach were it use to be, but now companies don't have to shoot in LA because there are many more options. Things can only grow so large before they plateau.
As Shannon mentioned , other states are offering more competitive tax incentives in comparison to California. California has been the hub of feature film and TV production for so long and has benefitted greatly from it. Therefore it was only a matter of time before other states that have been watching and studying California's success and dominance, tried it for themselves. You want productions to film in your state, and if you have to lure them in with tax incentives, why not?? The end result is beneficial, as it creates jobs for your voters and then once you get enough buzz going about your potential and great tax rates, your out the gate! I wonder how these numbers compare to Atlanta's because of late, many productions have chosen Atlanta as an alternative option. I wonder if they are seeing increases where California is seeing decreases.
I kind of understand why California is stingy on tax exemptions for films. When you think about it, the film industry is a huge industry within the state of California. With the wide variety of ecosystems and city types, I would imagine that if tax exemptions were an incentive, filming would take over the state. Having lived in California, I have actually seen a surprising amount of movies being filmed. When that happens, it not only takes the private funds of the studios, but there are a lot of government resources used as well. It takes police and traffic personnel to guide traffic around, not to mention it causes traffic jams and redirection of people which will make a lot of people late. If filming was encouraged in the state of California, it would shut down a lot of streets across the state. Please don't get me wrong, I love when films shoot in California and I think that it is a great thing to have happen, but logistically it would be problematic if every studio made California it's number one shooting location.
Well as someone who wants to work in LA on TV and film projects this is rather concerning but from what I've found even though the film production is not doing as well as it should, there is still tons of filming going on and it shouldn't be too hard to find somewhere to work...I hope. Perhaps it is the film industry that is not using LA rather than the television industry because all of the big networks have their studios there and seem to always be in use.
Yay! This is good news to hear. I'm glad to hear that the industry is recovering is Los Angeles and California as a whole. Anecdotally, as a Los Angeles native, I can certainly attest to witnessing plenty of location filming all over the city. Furthermore, it is warming to hear that mayor Garcetti understands the concerns of the industry and is very much proactive in supporting its recovery. Onwards and upwards!
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