Los Angeles Production Is Still Declining In Q3 2026
Deadline • • entertainment
Key Points:
- On-location filming in the Los Angeles area declined by 4.8% from July to September 2026 compared to the previous year, totaling 4,171 shoot days, despite support from California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program.
- The tax credit program accounted for 40.3% of scripted, on-location productions during this period, nearly doubling its share from the previous year, with television benefiting the most.
- Incentivized TV productions made up 62% of comedy shoot days and 49.4% of drama shoot days, though much TV production occurs on soundstages, which are not included in this data and remain below past occupancy levels.
- Feature films saw a slight 2.1% increase to 533 shoot days, with 24.4% being incentivized projects, mostly independent films alongside some studio titles like 13 Going on 30 and Cut Off.
- Commercial productions experienced the largest decline, dropping 15.9% to 562 shoot days, but these are not eligible for California’s tax credit program.
