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L.A. On-Location Filming Falls 16% in 2025 Despite Late-Quarter Lift

Most approved tax‑credit projects have not started filming, delaying any rebound.

Overview

  • FilmLA counted 19,694 shoot days in 2025, a 16.1% drop from 2024 and the lowest annual total since 2020.
  • Q4 recorded 4,625 shoot days, up 5.6% from Q3 yet 21.1% below the same quarter a year earlier.
  • California’s expanded tax-credit program has allocated roughly $771 million and approved about 118–119 projects, with a 180‑day window before productions must begin.
  • Television and commercials saw the sharpest declines, with TV down 21.9% year over year and about 50% below its five‑year average in Q4, and commercials down 23.2%.
  • Feature work fell 19.7% year over year in Q4, more than 17% of feature shoot days were tied to incentivized—mostly independent—films, incentives accounted for about 13% of Q4 activity, and local officials are pursuing permitting and fee changes to lure shoots back.