FilmLA Wednesday said film production from April to June declined 97.8% compared to the same time period last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
FilmLA — the not-for-profit group that serves as the official film office of the city and county of Los Angeles — stated there were only 194 “shoot days” last quarter.
“The first shutdowns we saw in March were voluntary, and it was hoped they could be temporary,” FilmLA President Paul Audley said. “Looking back, it was hard to imagine the impact the pandemic would have on entertainment projects in progress and the economic security of local cast, crew and production vendors.”
FilmLA said “unsurprisingly” the last quarter also returned the lowest filming levels on record. By state and county order, production remained shut down from March 20 to June 15.
“The good news is that production is starting to responsibly return, with advertising shoots, commercials and limited television production now coming online,” Audley said. “All permitted filming must comply with health orders as issued by county authorities. The measure of compliance we’re seeing is a real help in keeping the industry on the road to recovery.”
Although state and Los Angeles County officials gave film production the green light to resume in late June, the return to work has been gradual and cautious, FilmLA stated.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected all industry sectors in the second quarter, including the region’s primary production sector of television, which was down 98.2% to 52 shoot days, and secondary production sector of commercials was down 95.5 percent to 58 shoot days, FilmLA stated.
Feature film production, the third-largest industry segment, also saw a decline of 99.7%, resulting in three shoot days.
A detailed status update on production’s recent resumption in the Los Angeles region can be found at www.filmla.com/covid-19.