FilmLA Research has issued a report on regional filming activity in 2025 as well as for Q4 of that year (October-December). And while there was improvement during that three-month period as compared to the previous quarter, it wasn’t enough to save the bottom line for 2025.
On-location production activity for the Q4 of ‘25 totaled 4,625 shoot days (SD), a 5.6 percent increase from the prior quarter (July-September, at 4,380 SD). Overall, 2025 finished with an annual total of 19,694 SD, a number 16.1 percent below the 2024 total (at 23,480 SD).
“While the year-end numbers are disappointing, they are not unexpected,” said FilmLA VP of integrated communications Philip Sokoloski. “FilmLA has consistently projected that the full effect of the expanded Film and Television Tax Credit Program would take time to materialize, and although our overall numbers remain low, there are dozens of incentivized projects that have yet to begin filming. We were pleased to see that a majority of the incentivized project shoot days in the feature film category were for independent films, and we look forward to continuing to support productions of all sizes as they kick off early in the New Year.”
Since the expanded California Film & TV Tax Credit Program went into effect last July, 119 projects have been awarded incentives. The most recent allocation round, held in early December, awarded credits to 28 film projects, many of which will be made in Greater Los Angeles. All approved productions have 180 days to start production after receiving their incentive award. Incentivized projects accounted for approximately 13 percent of all Film and TV shoot days in Q4.
“FilmLA is grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with independent filmmakers, labor organizations, and government leaders over the past year, exploring all opportunities to make filming in the Los Angeles region more accessible, affordable, and streamlined,” said FilmLA CEO Denise Gutches. “Many exciting initiatives are currently in development, and we look forward to seeing film-friendly policies expand throughout the region in the coming months. It’s time to bring production back home where it belongs, and put our talented, highly skilled entertainment workforce back to work.”
The feature film category declined by 19.7 percent year over year in the fourth quarter to 473 SD–finishing the year 31.7 percent below the category’s five-year average.
More than 17 percent of all shoot days in this category went to incentivized projects, the majority of which were independent films.
Meanwhile, the television category posted 1,247 SD in the fourth quarter, a 21.9 percent decline compared to same period the year prior, and ending the year 50.1 percent below the five-year category average.
TV dramas experienced a 36.4 percent decline over the same period last year and were down -43.3 percent over the five-year average. Fully 31 percent of the 336 SD in this category were from incentivized projects. TV dramas that shot on location included The Rookie S8 (ABC), The Comeback S3 (HBO), The Land S1 (Hulu), and Monster S4 (Netflix.)
Faring slightly better for the quarter was the TV comedy category, down 6 percent in Q4 of 2025 versus the same period in 2024, and 66 percent below its five-year average. TV comedy titles included Bad Monkey S2 (Apple TV+), Hacks S5 (HBO Max), and Running Point S2 (Netflix.) Nearly 32 percent of the 110 shoot days for TV comedy were for incentivized projects.
Notably, the California Film Commission’s recent eligibility expansion for non-relocating television series and minimum episode lengths of 20 minutes made way for more projects to take advantage of the increased tax incentives, particularly TV comedies with shorter episode lengths which had previously been excluded. This change will likely continue to have a positive impact going forward.
The TV reality category finished down 9.8 percent last quarter compared to the same quarter the year prior with 698 SD, bringing it down 49.7 percent for the five-year average. Projects filmed on location included long-standing series like Dancing with the Stars (ABC) and The Price is Right (CBS), along with newer fare such as Dinner Time Live with David Chang (Netflix), Love Island: Beyond the Villa (Peacock) and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu).
The downward trend also continued for commercial productions which are ineligible to apply for financial incentives through the state’s Film and TV Tax Credit program. With 586 SD, this category was down 23.2 percent in Q4 versus the same period last year amounting to a decline of 35.3 percent over the five-year average. Commercials that filmed locally last quarter included segments for auto manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Nissan, and Toyota, as well as services like Anthem, Bank of America, FedEx, Microsoft, and Ring.
FilmLA’s “Other” category, which collectively includes still photo shoots, student films, documentaries, short films, online content, plus music and industrial videos, posted 2,319 Shoot Days last quarter, down 20.4 percent compared to the same period the prior year. The category finished the year down 27.3 percent over the five-year average.
