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Decline in L.A. county filming

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On-location filming in greater Los Angeles declined 9.1 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2018, the region’s nonprofit film office reported this week.

“We’ve identified several factors contributing to the slowdown, and in our view, they are not a cause for alarm,” FilmLA President Paul Audley said. “Despite 2019’s slower start, we continue to expect that this will be among the most productive-ever years for on-location filming in Los Angeles.”

In all, 8,843 shoot days were logged during the quarter for film, television, commercial and other projects, compared to 9,724 in the same period last year, according to a FilmLA report. On-location feature film production dropped 13 percent in the first quarter, to 708 shooting days.

Timing appears to have played a role in the decline. In an unusual twist, only one project brought to Los Angeles by the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program has filmed on location since January, after other incentivized projects wrapped by year’s end.

According to the California Film Commission, there are many new feature films poised to begin production in the state, including 18 projects—10 studio projects and eight independent projects—announced for the tax credit program in April.

FilmLA predicts local feature activity will increase once some of those films begin production.

“As always, we caution against inferring too much from a single report,” Audley said. “California and Los Angeles will continue to attract new film projects, because our creative workforce and support resources are unmatched in all the world.”

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