Reading production stats can make it seem like regional TV production in LA is rebounding, but FilmL.A. President Paul Audley says ‘don’t believe it’. That group’s report entitled “TV Production Schedule Shift Gives L.A. Filming False Lift”, seems to show a boost of 33.7 percent in production. However, FilmL.A. researchers say most of the growth is only apparent, mainly due to seasonal production shifts. They also go on to note in the analysis releasted July 16, 2014, that the California Film & Television Tax Credit provided a “welcome boost” to TV Drama production.
Producers in New York might want to keep an eye on such reports and the responses they might stimulate. Similar to how the Mayor’s Office on Media and Entertainment combines production administration with analysis and boosterism, FilmL.A. has targeted New York’s stable and generous production tax credits as something California must emulate in order to return to the lead.
Statistics can be read to deliver any number of conclusions, of course. FilmL.A. president Audley ends the report by stating “History teaches us how quickly apparent gains in local production can be swept away. Strengthening the programs that make California competitive and attractive for filming is essential to our state’s long-term prosperity.”
The full report, available as a PDF download, can be found here.
