FilmL.A., the not-for-profit film office serving the Greater Los Angeles region, released a report prepared by its research division. The 2014 Feature Film Production Study analyzes a sample of 106 U.S. feature films released theatrically last year, identifying where they were filmed and how much was spent to produce them. The report also examines California’s top competitors and year-over-year trends in production yield.
A total of 22 California-made film projects were released theatrically in 2014 (18 live action films & 4 animated films) giving the state an edge over its competitors in total project count and production spending. The 22 projects filmed in California brought an estimated $1.11 billion in total production spending to the state.
Some of the report’s other notable findings include:
o The 106 films studied by FilmL.A. represent nearly $6.3 billion in direct production spending. Budgets for sampled films ranged from $2 million to $250 million.
o The list of California’s main competitors is unchanged from 2013. In 2014, main competitors included New York (13 projects), the United Kingdom (12 projects), Canada (12 projects), Georgia (10 projects), and Louisiana (5 projects).
o Among California-based live-action features included in the study, 44 percent (8 out of 18 projects) were made in state thanks to the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program. These films generated $241 million in local production spending.
o The study included two dozen live-action films with budgets above $100 million. Only two such films were primarily filmed in California (Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Interstellar) – and even these spent some time filming out of state.
o California-based VFX houses captured the majority of work for just seven of the 24 big-budget live-action films.
o Less than one half of the 106 films surveyed performed musical scoring in California.
“This report once again highlights the economic impact of the entertainment industry. Hollywood is the bedrock of our middle class in L.A., and our new tax credit and the productions it will bring back to California will support tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic activity,” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. “It’s not just about the people and businesses the entertainment industry directly employs, but the businesses they support in their neighborhoods.”
“The report underscores how essential it is that California compete for this business,” noted FilmL.A. president Paul Audley. “The value of the California Film & Television Tax Credit is already evident. And, with the program set to more than triple in value this summer, we look forward to seeing more bigger-budget projects return.”
