There is a real uptick—but it’s modest, early, and very much tied to incentives. The numbers are accurate, but they need context to mean anything useful.
Mayor Karen Bass is pointing to a 10.7% increase in shoot days quarter-over-quarter, along with a sharp rise in feature film activity. On paper, that sounds like momentum. In practice, it’s more of a rebound from a low baseline than a full recovery.
What’s actually happening is this: after several slow years—driven by strikes, cost concerns, and productions leaving California—Los Angeles is seeing some projects return. But many of those projects are coming back because of tax credits and cost-cutting measures, not because the underlying economics of filming in L.A. have fundamentally changed.
FilmLA reinforces that point in a careful way. The growth is real, but they stop short of calling it a trend. It’s too early, and the overall volume still isn’t where it used to be.
In plain terms:
- More productions are filming in L.A.—but not dramatically more. Think of it as a slight pickup, not a boom.
- Tax credits are doing the heavy lifting. A meaningful portion of TV dramas and features are only here because they’re subsidized.
- The city is trying to compete on logistics. Faster permits, cheaper parking, fewer fees—these are practical fixes aimed at making L.A. less difficult to shoot in.
- Jobs may stabilize, but not surge. The goal right now is keeping crews working locally, not expanding the workforce.
Some of the recent changes—like discounted parking for production vehicles, reduced location fees, and streamlined permitting—sound small, but they address long-standing complaints from line producers. L.A. has historically been seen as expensive and bureaucratic compared to places like Georgia or international hubs. These adjustments are an attempt to close that gap, even if only incrementally.
The more telling detail is that incentivized projects still make up a relatively small share of total shoot days (under 7%), even though they dominate certain categories like features and TV drama. That suggests the broader ecosystem hasn’t fully rebounded yet—it’s being selectively propped up rather than widely revived.
So, how “true” is the narrative?
It’s not wrong—but it’s optimistic framing. Los Angeles isn’t back in full force. What you’re seeing is the beginning of a correction after a downturn, supported by policy changes and incentives. Whether it turns into sustained growth depends on whether productions continue choosing L.A. when those incentives level out—and whether the city can keep reducing friction without eroding its own revenue base.
For now, the takeaway is simple: things are improving, but cautiously—and with a lot of help.
The Numbers:
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Filming fees at the Griffith Observatory have been slashed by 70%
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The Central Library has reopened for filming after more than a decade
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The Port of Los Angeles has cut in half the time it takes to review filming applications
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The LA Department of Transportation has extended staff hours to ensure timely on-street signage posting requests and changes for local productions
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LADOT has pre-approved certain closures in Downtown L.A., allowing FilmLA to authorize curb lanes and local street closures in accordance with established guidelines
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LAPD has identified activity and locations where the assignment of personnel can either be waived or decreased since the Mayor’s directive took effect
