tv LA continues to lose TV production.

[Aspiring Mogul]

The City of Angels is producing more pilots than before, thanks in part to Netflix, Amazon and other new media players, but its overall share is declining. Not only that, the city is losing the more lucrative parts of the production business, namely, pilots for TV dramas.

Of course, Vancouver, Canada, is also seeing the same thing, and it used to be Hollywood North.

The reason for the falloff is the same reason affecting almost all industries on this planet - ever-increasing competition. I'm beginning to wonder if LA will keep its title as the entertainment capital of the world.

 

[wreckerman893]

This is not meant to be a California bashing but CA has become a victim of it's own left leaning government. All types of business and industry are leaving the state in droves because of the high cost of doing business out there. Many states are creating tax incentives and other programs to lure the industry to their locations (I'm involved with that right now in Alabama).
Hollywood may continue to play some sort of a role as far as big names and companies being located there but I think a lot of production will move simply due to economics.

 

[Lucky Hardwood]

Louisiana nearly shot ourselves in the foot this year. The governor and legislature introduced bills that would have killed the tax incentives for entertainment production. Fortunately those bills died quickly.

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

This is not meant to be a California bashing but CA has become a victim of it's own left leaning government. All types of business and industry are leaving the state in droves because of the high cost of doing business out there. Many states are creating tax incentives and other programs to lure the industry to their locations (I'm involved with that right now in Alabama).
Hollywood may continue to play some sort of a role as far as big names and companies being located there but I think a lot of production will move simply due to economics.

I agree. But they HAVE to get rid of that deficit, and, if raising taxes is the way to do it ...

 

[wreckerman893]

I agree. But they HAVE to get rid of that deficit, and, if raising taxes is the way to do it ...

Or they could cut government spending to the bone, quit paying elected officials and government employees way too much money and lower taxes to keep business and industry there. Quit paying people not to work and cut welfare to the illegals and people that are too lazy to work for a living. Socialism only works until you run out of other people's money. Rant over.

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

Or they could cut government spending to the bone, quit paying elected officials and government employees way too much money and lower taxes to keep business and industry there. Quit paying people not to work and cut welfare to the illegals and people that are too lazy to work for a living. Socialism only works until you run out of other people's money. Rant over.

That could work.

 

[uhaulforlovers]

I find it amusing when folks use politics as an excuse: left-leaning governments blah blah blah.

The reality has less to do with what happens in Sacramento, and more to do with production needs.

TV/cable comedies are typically filmed on soundstages, and there's economies of scale by filming on studio lots. If you notice with comedies (single camera or multi-cam), most of the scenes take place in interiors (houses, apartments, offices, etc) and exteriors are used as establishing shots. And comedies that do take place in exteriors tend to really use LA as a backdrop that can add to the story (Curb, Californication, Workaholics, etc).

Locations tend to be more specific and particular in dramas: and Southern California/LA has a very specific climate and exterior - if you want dark, rainy and gloomy, it's harder to do that here. Think of all the dramas out there esp. cable: the New Mexico backdrop is a big part of Breaking Bad; you're not going to get the kind of vistas and exteriors in LA if you're shooting Game of Thrones. Or you get series like Longmire where it's probably cheaper to be based in New Mexico permanently than it is to have LA-based crew commute to Lancaster or the nearby deserts everyday. If you were to shoot Boardwalk Empire in LA, you'd have to make an effort to make LA look like NY, where it may be worth shooting on location in NY even if it costs a tad more. Again with so many dramas, the location is a big part of the story, almost another character that gives the series a certain tone. With dramas, it's not that LA has been more difficult, but that other cities have become more savvy in making their cities more production friendly (and it's not all about tax incentives - but way more than that, including coordinating all the city depts to make sure that production shoots go smoothly from permitting to crewing up and all the little things that we all know go into a production go smooth on set).

 

[directorik]

The reality has less to do with what happens in Sacramento, and more to do with production needs.

You limit your argument to a few specific shows that require
a specific setting. “Dexter” takes place in Miami and is entirely
shot in the Los Angeles area (mostly Long Beach) “CSI: New
York” was filmed entirely in Los Angeles. "Glee" takes place in
Ohio and New York and is filmed in Los Angeles - twice a month
in NY. "Mad Men" shoots in Los Angeles despite it being about NYC.
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" - filmed in Los Angeles

With dramas, it's not that LA has been more difficult, but that other cities have become more savvy in making their cities more production friendly

It’s both. And it’s the politics of the State leaders. New Mexico,
Alabama, North Carolina and a few years ago, Michigan all keep
taxes low and give prodCo’s incentives to bring their production
to their States. California’s politicians make shooting in California
very expensive and not just from taxes - city fees, shooting
limitations, permit fees, security requirements all make shooting
in California less desirable. There was a time when 80% of all TV
dramas shot in Los Angeles. Why the move away in the last 20
years? Because other cities have become more savvy in making
their cities more production friendly and California cities have made
regulation more expensive and difficult. that's politics.

You find it amusing when folks use politics as an excuse and then
you point out that the politics of different States is what attracts
production. Who in those cities are making their cities more production
friendly? The local business owners? Or the politicians?

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

The new mayor of LA is promising to bring back runaway production. His ideas about streamlining the bureaucracy are good, but, in the end, the tax credits are all important.

The City of Angels is still the city to make contacts, but, if it gets less than half the TV production, and, if it continues to lose film production, can it continue to be the entertainment capital of the world? That's the big question I'm asking now, because I have been thinking of moving there.

 

[wreckerman893]

The City of Angels is still the city to make contacts, but, if it gets less than half the TV production, and, if it continues to lose film production, can it continue to be the entertainment capital of the world? That's the big question I'm asking now, because I have been thinking of moving there.

Unless you are independently wealthy, have a high paying job waiting or have a skill that is in huge demand you might want to rethink that strategy. Working people and businesses are leaving CA for a reason. That reason is economics for the most part. There is also the high crime rate in some areas, the bleak job market (which is problematic in other areas also) and the politics related to how the leadership out there views the people that elected them to serve their interests.
Years ago I had to go to LA once a week and travel all over the state. I didn't leave anything out there worth going back for. In my opinion LA is a rat race and the rats are winning.
While I am interested in the film industry from a Public Relations standpoint I'm not an aspiring film maker. I do intend to make it my mission to bring indie film producers and established companies to my state to make movies. My son and I have formed a company to that end and are getting established locally.
Your avatar does not list a location for you but I'd look locally first to see what is going on in your area. You may be surprised at how many like minded folks share your interests.
Just my jaded opinion for what it's worth.

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

LA is seeing more film work, especially from Web-based TV, even as its overall share declines. So LA isn't doing too badly, because it is doing more work than before, even as film commissioners from around the world gather in that city, trying to get more work for their jurisdictions. A growing world economy will provide more opportunities for everyone.

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

As an aside, Macau, China, is now the world's largest gambling den, with five times the revenue of Las Vegas, the former capital.

I have been keeping up on economics and international politics for decades (yes, I'm that old), and I know a lot about the debates on American power. To cut a long story short, America will continue to be the largest economy on Earth for the next little while, but other regions, like Asia and Africa will continue to rise while Europe, Russia, and Japan will continue to decline.

And Macau reflects that American power - it was built by Las Vegas companies, who maintain substantial influence there, and, perhaps, the gambling tourists may want to go to Nevada to see what America is like.

The lesson may or may not apply to Hollywood. California is losing production, and it will soon have less than half of America's film production, a far cry from not too long ago when it had over 80%. But the deals are still made in LA, and, unlike the gambling industry, the film and TV industry has no single rival to challenge Hollywood - NY is trying, but it's not succeeding, partly because that state also has high taxes. And entertainment, unlike any other industry, relies far, far more on creativity and inspiration, which cannot be bought by government subsidies or legislation, and, so long as Hollywood continues to attract the best writers and directors, it will have the edge.

So I'm not sure if Tinseltown will remain the entertainment capital of the world. It will have less and less production, so can it still be the place to make deals? I don't know. I'll throw this out for others to discuss.