Soundstages in Los Angeles experienced a production occupancy rate of just 62 percent for the first half of 2025. That is among the findings of FilmLA Research’s Eighth Annual Sound Stage Production Report released today (3/18). FilmLA Research is a program of the FilmLA Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to support a thriving film economy in California.
The report covers 17 studio participants including all the major legacy studios and the larger independents, representing approximately 75 percent of the current 6.9 million square feet of certified stage space in the Los Angeles market.
As FilmLA reported last year, after years of study participants’ annual occupancy being in the 90th percentile range between 2016 and 2022, it declined to 69 percent in 2023, and then further to 63 percent in 2024. Occupancy data for the first six months of 2025 shows average occupancy remaining steady at about 62 percent.
The total number of projects shot on participant stages increased slightly by 5 percent from 1,225 to 1,287 projects between 2023 and 2024. At the same time, the total number of shoot days declined by 8 percent from 8,671 to 7,940. Much of this decline can be attributed to a decrease in shoot days associated with scripted television, which declined by 23 percent on participant stages between 2023 and 2024. Despite these declines, participant stages experienced increases in both project numbers and shoot days for some categories production such as feature films, commercials, music videos, and the “other” category, which typically pertains to non- traditional uses such as special events, rehearsals, etc.
As of March 2026, Los Angeles County remains the world leader in terms of available sound stage space, with 8.3 million square feet of total stage space (both certified and uncertified space). However, the County faces challenges from competing jurisdictions such as the U.K. and New York, whose respective studio space inventories have doubled over the past five years. These outside filming centers also offer highly competitive tax incentives.
The first quarter of 2026 saw the opening of two new soundstage facilities in Los Angeles. East End Studios opened its five-stage Mission Campus in Boyle Heights in January, and Cinespace Studios opened its six-stage Woodland Hills facility in March. In addition to these completed builds, FilmLA Research is tracking seven other planned studio builds or renovations, the closest to completion being Sylmar Studios’ upcoming six-stage facility followed by Echelon Studios’ complex of five studios in Hollywood.
The California Soundstage Filming Tax Credit Program (SFP) provides a reservation of tax credits to qualified films and television projects filming on a certified soundstage that is newly constructed, renovated, or converted. Companies are eligible to apply to obtain soundstage certification as a Phase A applicant; qualified film and television projects filming on a certified soundstage are eligible to apply as a Phase B applicant. SFP is funded over a 10-year period, from 2022 through 2032, with a total allocation of $150 million.
