Television Production Continues To Run Away From California

FilmLA released their annual year-end report that compiled on-location production over the course of 2011. While the numbers showed a slight gain overall, with a 4.2 percent increase over 2010, the decline in television production indicates that runaway production is still a stark reality in the California production landscape.

Television saw a 2.7 percent annual decline, driven by a significant 10.6 percent drop in the fourth quarter of 2011.  The drop in the fourth quarter can be attributed to the Los Angeles area loosing ten one-hour television dramas that left the area to relocate in other states, particularly New York.  New York offers more than four times the amount of funding available in filming tax credits than California, a benefit that has resulted in a year-end high for NY's television production.

On-location feature production increased 5.7 percent for the year.  Important to note, however, is that feature production saw a decline of 26.4 percent in the fourth quarter.

Production in the Commercials category increased 4.4 percent for the year

Last year in Los Angeles, TV Dramas finished down 11.5 percent; TV Reality was down

1.8 percent; TV Sitcoms were down 12.8 percent, and TV Pilots logged a 6.1 percent

increase.   FilmL.A.’s overall production figures are still below levels seen prior to 2009, at which time the L.A. region saw a precipitous year-over-year production crash.