Los Angeles Film and Television Production declines in 2025, Despite Incentive Boost
Los Angeles experienced a significant downturn in film and television production in 2025, with total shoot days falling 16.1% compared to the previous year. The 19,694 shoot days recorded represent the lowest figure since 2020, according to a recent report from FilmLA, the nonprofit organization that tracks on-location filming activity in the greater Los Angeles area. in 2024, the region hosted 23,480 shoot days.
Impact of Incentive Programs and Future Outlook
Despite a recent increase in California’s film and TV production incentive program, championed by Governor Gavin Newsom through a bill signed in July 2025, the impact hasn’t yet fully materialized in on-location filming statistics.Philip sokoloski, FilmLA’s Vice President of Integrated Communications, explains that it takes time for awarded projects to move into the production phase.
“While the year-end numbers are disappointing, they are not unexpected,” Sokoloski stated. “Although our overall numbers remain low, there are dozens of incentivized projects that have yet to begin filming.” more than 100 film and TV projects have already been awarded production incentives to film in California under the revamped program,signaling potential future growth. In the fourth quarter of 2025, projects benefiting from the previous incentive program accounted for approximately 13% of all shoot days in the Los Angeles area.
Fourth Quarter Breakdown: A Deeper Dive into Declines
The fourth quarter of 2025 saw a particularly sharp decrease in production, with on-location shoots totaling 4,625 days – a 21.1% drop compared to the same period in 2024. This decline was widespread across various production categories.
Commercials Lead the Downturn
Commercial production experienced the most substantial decrease, falling 23.2% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. This suggests a potential shift in advertising budgets or a move towards choice production locations.
Television Production Struggles
Television production also faced significant challenges, with an overall decline of 21.9%. A closer look reveals stark differences within the TV landscape:
- Pilots: Experienced a dramatic 62.5% decrease in shoot days compared to 2024, indicating a cautious approach to greenlighting new series. This coudl be linked to the evolving streaming landscape and network restructuring.
- Dramas: Saw a substantial drop of 36.4%, possibly reflecting budgetary constraints or a shift in audience preferences.
- Reality TV: Decreased by 9.8%, a more moderate decline suggesting continued demand for unscripted content.
- TV Comedy: Experienced a 6% decrease, the smallest decline within the television category.
Feature Films and “Other” categories Also Affected
Feature film shoot days were down 19.7% from the fourth quarter of 2024. FilmLA’s “other” category, encompassing student films, documentaries, and music videos, also experienced a significant decline of 20.4%. This broad-based decrease suggests that the challenges facing the industry are not limited to specific types of productions.
Factors Contributing to the Decline
Several factors likely contributed to the overall decline in Los Angeles film and television production in 2025.These include:
- Competition from Other States and Countries: States like Georgia and countries like Canada continue to offer attractive incentive programs,luring productions away from California.
- Industry Strikes: the recent Writers guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes considerably disrupted production schedules and created uncertainty within the industry. While resolved, the aftereffects lingered throughout 2025.
- Economic Conditions: Broader economic uncertainties and potential advertising budget cuts may have impacted production spending.
- Streaming Service Restructuring: the ongoing evolution of the streaming landscape, including consolidation and cost-cutting measures, has led to a more cautious approach to content creation.
Looking Ahead
While 2025 presented challenges for Los Angeles film and television production, the increased state incentives and the backlog of approved projects offer a glimmer of hope for the future. The full impact of the incentive program is expected to be seen in the coming years. Continued monitoring of production trends and adaptation to the evolving industry landscape will be crucial for maintaining Los Angeles’ position as a leading global entertainment hub. The projects awarded incentives, as detailed in recent reports, represent a potential catalyst for renewed growth.
