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CALIFORNIA BUSINESS MINUTE
Quiet on the Set
04-16-09
Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.
As a sign of the economic times and the possible threat of an actor’s strike, as well as the
runaway production trend, Los Angeles has seen its weakest ever quarter in off-lot feature
production.
First-quarter stats released by the permitting agency - FilmL.A., showed 903 days of feature
shooting, off 56% from the 2008 first quarter and down 14% from the fourth quarter -- which
set the previous record for lowest production level since record keeping began in 1994.
By contrast, off-lot TV activity remained robust in the first quarter with a 76% jump to 6,274
days -- the fifth highest quarter on record -- due mostly to the WGA strike, which held down
TV in the 2008 quarter. Reality rose 68.7% over Q1 2008, dramas soared 191% to 1,554,
while sitcoms increased 49% to 250 and pilots gained 54% to 255. Off-lot TV activity edged
down a mere 18 days from the fourth quarter. Commercial production slid 34% to 1,266 days,
with FilmL.A. noting that the decline reflected the economy's slide into recession with curtailed
spending on advertising.
Despite a strong start to the year at the box office, studios are reducing the number of movies
they produce and laying off thousands of employees in response to weakening DVD sales,
declining local TV ad revenue and diminishing sources of financing.
The entertainment industry in LA lost more than 22,000 jobs in January, more than any other
sector, according to the California Employment Development Department -- roughly 10% of the
available workforce. The entertainment industry employs more than 200,000 people and pumps
$20 to $30 billion into the local economy according to the Los Angeles County Economic
Development Corporation.
I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.
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WHAT'S IN YOUR ECONOMY CALIFORNIA?
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