GPN Turns 20
Being mature and accomplished at the age of 20 is a neat trick which has been deftly turned by GPN, the Global Production Network that’s a handpicked collection of well-known and well respected production service companies, tabletop and virtual studios internationally. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year–solidifying its place in the world of international production services–GPN serves as a liaison, cultural translator and network for production companies, agencies and brands that wish to film abroad.
GPN was founded in 2003 by Harry Tracosas who’s been in the film business since the late 1970s. Having traveled and filmed internationally for many years, Tracosas saw the need to connect production companies globally in an effort to provide a “safety net” for international producers because at that time no services entity of this scope and nature existed. While traveling Tracosas met industry folks who were reliable, honest, trustworthy, committed to excellence and were just “good, decent people.” He knew that to have a global network for production companies with these values could only be of benefit to all involved.
What began as an idea soon became a business and has grown steadily over the past 20 years. As its essence, GPN is value based rather than profit driven. Julia Weichinger, the new owner, has been instrumental for more than a decade in expanding GPN’s client base in Europe. Both Tracosas and Weichinger are committed to having companies within the network who understand GPN’s core values and priorities.
GPN has become a family where each member is independent and self-reliant, however, each member company also has a responsibility to the “whole” as GPN, at its core, is a community.
Each GPN company honors the philosophies, principles of accountability, integrity, mutual respect, transparency and above all, trust. Without these expectations, the network would not work. This is what has made GPN’s longevity possible and why it will continue to be a foundational support for producers and creatively driven companies worldwide.
FilmLA Publishes Table of Content
FilmLA, partner film office for the City and County of Los Angeles and other local jurisdictions, has published a new, first of its kind report analyzing U.S.-produced, first-run, English-language scripted projects distributed in years 2021 and 2022.
The purpose of this report–representing an evolution in FilmLA’s tracking methodology–is to analyze production locations used in the creation of today’s universe of U.S. scripted content. FilmLA intends to publish updates to this report on an annual basis.
In previous years, FilmLA issued separate reports on the film and television sectors. This new Scripted Content Study combines an analysis of: (1) television series (streaming, cable and broadcast); (2) original, made-for-cable movies; (3) first-run feature films in theatrical release; and (4) original feature films made for streaming services. Around 1,000 projects meeting these criteria are distributed each calendar year.
According to this report, Greater Los Angeles was the number one filming location for U.S. scripted content, in terms of the sheer number of hosted productions. That said, growth in the region’s total production capture appeared flat (less than one percent) between 2021 and 2022, compared to a four percent growth in total industry output and significant growth in competing jurisdictions.
“The change our industry has undergone over the past few years is profound,” noted Paul Audley, president of FilmLA. “Here, in a moment where many predict a reduction in industry output, this study establishes a baseline for us to understand the challenges ahead.”
