www.indiewire.com/news: Everyone in the industry wants to forget 2023. Especially everyone in the industry in L.A.
A new FilmLA report has found that only 18 percent of the scripted TV and film projects released last year were made in the greater Los Angeles area. That’s down from 22 percent of 2022 releases and 23 percent in 2021.
6 comments:
It’s so interesting to think about the effect that this decline is having on Los Angeles specifically. I wonder whether the shift will remain with less projects being developed overall, or if there will begin to be a rise in other film and TV capitals in various other places. There is definitely a perception now that the only place to be if you want to work in television is LA, but it sounds like if LA isn’t even performing like it traditionally has anymore, there’s a bit of a space for other cities to possibly fill. That said, nowhere has film and TV as deeply ingrained in its infrastructure and culture as Los Angeles. I highly doubt that this decline will be permanent, even though rapidly losing money can feel like a self-fulfilling prophecy that is hard to escape. There are still scary things ahead for this industry, but I trust in its ability to overcome.
I think this is a really interesting conversation but I would find it more informative if it compared LAs numbers with the rest of the US. If all Film production was on a downward slope similar to LA it would be a conversation worth talking about and finding ways to spark the joy of creation in people after covid and the strikes. But if it is only LA experiencing this downward sloping production levels while other areas increase it could mean a shifting industry. If the industry is shifting it means there are jobs opening for other people who previously had no access to the industry. But if the whole country is falling with no chance of improvement it could mean the death of independent studios. Larger studios such as disney and universal will continue to make films but the lack of small studios will limit beginners introduction to the industry.
This article makes me think about the theater industry's current state, especially from the perspective of students and emerging artists. Just like how people associate the film industry with Los Angeles and the theater world with New York, there's a similar sense of centralization in both fields. However, in Los Angeles, there's a growing mismatch between where film and TV professionals live and where job opportunities are, as economic pressures and fewer openings create challenges for the local workforce. Despite efforts like streamlining the licensing process and offering local incentives, they may not be enough to stop productions from moving away. Without major, long-term investment, California’s film industry might shrink further, weakening its influence. I think the theater industry could be undergoing a similar shift. While Broadway might seem like the center of the theater world, more and more theaters are popping up in cities beyond New York. This decentralization is noticeable, especially for students and early-career professionals. Broadway's top jobs tend to be monopolized by those already established, which could push new artists to find opportunities elsewhere. In a way, the theater industry seems to be expanding beyond its traditional hubs, which may offer more chances for growth in other cities, creating new possibilities for those starting out in the field.
If you were to ask anybody what they thought of when they think of California, it would definitely be the film industry. I was shocked to learn that this industry is moving further away from LA, but honestly makes sense as I know a lot of my favorite recent productions have been shot in the UK. As mentioned in the article, this is devastating for workers as they are losing jobs. This must be especially hard for young workers who move to LA with a goal and dream and lack sufficient funds to move elsewhere. I wonder if this shift will continue, or if it will centralize back in LA as the ripple effects from COVID and the strikes lessen. If this is a shifting and decentralizing industry, I wonder what this will mean for the overall quality, time of production, and accessibility and creativity of television and film works.
I think that it is important to spread out filming locations to showcase more of the world we live in, it can also bring film jobs to different places diversifying the people who get to be inspired by film crews in action. I know that if I had film crews in my area it might have provided me with insight into the industry that I might eventually join. This can also be an opportunity for LA to become more than just a hub for filming and to evolve into a more rounded city. Diversifying filming locations can also allow workers to find homes in a more affordable area while still working on what they love.
The fact of the title didn’t strike me as surprising (what with everything that has happened in LA recently in the industry), but the subtitle about industry workers and the dissonance there is concerning. This low percentage of the industry productions occurring in LA isn’t new - as the problems behind the strike aren’t new - but is certainly lowering as a result of the recent strikes. Workers continue to leave LA as LA churns out markedly less than before - but the strikes and their problems affected all over the country. “California’s signature industry” is no longer limited to LA. I find this interesting, since film originally was all over the world as little grassroots efforts, then focused in New York and California as it became more organized and more money-driven. The article then focuses on the surrounding damage in LA that this phenomenon does - as productions leave, workers leave, and so do tangentially-related businesses that previously thrived.
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