Written by David Lewis on Jul 23, 2009. Posted in On Location

LA production days decline further

FilmLA has announced that on-location filming across all filming categories declined by 24.5% in the first half of 2009 compared to the same six-month period in 2008. The nonprofit organisation that coordinates permits for filmed entertainment in the city and surrounding areas, recorded 19,015 permitted production days (PPD) from January to June 2009 compared to 25,196 PPD in the same period during 2008.

On-location feature film production posted the largest year-to-date decline of any category, down 52.5% compared to 2008 (2,314 PPD compared to 4,868 in 2008). The category has posted four straight quarters of double-digit losses and has seen annual declines in ten of the last 12 years, as feature productions have left Los Angeles for other incentive-rich jurisdictions.

Permitted production days for commercials are down by 31.1% (2,459 PPD compared to 3,570 on 2008). The commercials category, which has experienced year-over-year annual losses in 2006, 2007 and 2008, has also posted four straight quarters of double-digit losses.

Paul Audley, FilmLA President, said: "Our recent television-production figures have been all over the map due to last year's work stoppage, but we are deeply concerned by our long-term loss of commercial and feature-film production. The advertising sector has been hard hit by the economy, and feature films are consistently shot in incentive-generous locales outside California."