Filming In L.A. Reaches Highest Levels Since Start Of Pandemic

STUDIO CITY, CA — Filming in Los Angeles continued its resurgence last month as the industry begins to emerge from the pandemic. Applications for film permits increased for the second month in a row, with FilmLA reporting film applications increased by 45% in March compared to February.

FilmLA received 1,125 film permit applications in March, the highest in a single month since the pandemic began. In February, that number was 777.

"The current pace of business resumption is encouraging," FilmLA President Paul Audley said. "Continuing industry adherence to Appendix J protocols, which has made film sets among the safest possible workplaces during the pandemic, remains important even as local vaccine uptake increases."

Applications during the pandemic previously peaked in October, with 880 applications, after health officials gave permission for production to move forward. The number of applications dropped to 813 in November, 613 in December and 543 in January.

From January through March, FilmLA recorded 7,011 total shoot days, a 3.3% decrease from the same time period in 2020. Television saw the largest year-over-year gains, which saw 3,766 shoot days for a 50.1 increase from 2020.

Reality TV filming nearly doubled compared to the first quarter in 2020, while TV dramas grew by 64 percent. TV shows filmed in Los Angeles during the first quarter included HBO Max's "Generation," "Mayans MC" on FX, "Shameless" on Showtime and Fox's "Lone Star.

Feature films saw a drop-off in production days in Q1, down 13.5 from the same time period in 2020. Locally filmed movies include "Ambulance" with Jake Gyllenhaal, "The Gray Man" with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, and an untitled project starring Robert DeNiro and Christian Bale.

Find the full report here.

City News Service contributed to this report.