Film production in Los Angeles decline sharply in the fourth quarter of last year, according to a report by FilmLA released Wednesday.
Production of commercials was 24.5% below the five-year annual average and declined 22.6% from 2021. Overall, there were 8,674 shoot days in Los Angeles between last October and December, and 2022 finished with 36,792 shoot days. That marked a 2.4% decline from 2021 and just a 0.7% increase from 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.
FilmLA President Paul Audley said that even in 2019, the film industry suffered significant production decline.
“Can we hold here, or will the pre-COVID downtrend resume?” Audley said. “That is the question everyone is asking.”
Television fared relatively well, with production finishing at 7.3% higher in 2022 compared to the five-year average. But it still suffered a 24.2% decline in the fourth quarter compared to 2021.
Among specific categories, the declines in the fourth quarter compared to the prior year included 33.9% for television comedies, 2.2% for reality television and 16.2% for feature films.
The “other” category also suffered a 9.4% decline.
