BLAKE & WANG P.A looked recently at the resurgence of filming in LA as COVID-19 restrictions finally began to ease. While there may have been tentative steps at first, with producers uncertain if the lockdown cycle was going to snap back into place without warning, it now looks as though the news is overwhelmingly positive.
5 feature films, 5 TV dramas, and 7 reality shows (and counting) have recently wrapped in the area, or are still filming onsite. And that’s only the numbers based on data from FilmLA, the county’s film permit office. That means it’s without considering productions currently using soundstage filming, and could also be missing on-location data from jurisdictions the agency doesn’t cover. In practical terms, the numbers are likely a little higher- and that’s fantastic news.
Who’s been filming in LA?
To date, we’ve seen Soggy Bottom, Waking Up Dead, Limbo, Night Teeth, and Without Remorse hit the L.A film location scene, while NCIS, L.A Undercover, Mayans M.C, On the Verge, and Animal Kingdom have all resumed filming on the series side.
The reality market, as we’ve mentioned before, is also booming in these uncertain times, and L.A has been no stranger to on-location filming for the genre either. Guy’s Grocery Games Delivery, The Con, Wheeler Dealers, Dancing with the Stars, Dog Impossible, Celebrity IOU and Botched have all needed permits for L.A filming in recent weeks.
That’s even without factoring in commercials, which have also provided some much-needed movement in the film industry for the area. Toyota, Nissan, and Facebook, among many others, have been getting in on the commercial action.
Riding the wave from the first rebound
While this is, of course, nowhere near ‘normal’ level of filming for the popular and film-friendly location, it’s a satisfying improvement on Quarter 3 location shoots. All the same, even third-quarter reports showed a detectable recovery, making for a pleasing beginning to the slow-but-steady rebound now firmly underway. Of course, FilmLA cautions that this year won’t see normal numbers of film shoots, no matter how much of a resurgence we see, but that’s only to be expected. Optimistic predictions say spring should see a general recovery to normalcy overall if current trends continue.
Overall, this is great news for L.A’s economy and the U.S film industry in general, and seeing so many noted productions roll back into action can’t help but feel encouraging. With a little luck, the L.A film industry can put the global health crisis in the rearview mirror and focus instead on making a brighter future out of the ashes of the mostly-lost 2020 filming season.
BLAKE & WANG P.A Entertainment Lawyer Los Angeles is glad to see a recovery in place, and will continue to keep an eye on the situation in L.A (and other notable film locations) to help you stay on top of the industry. Remember, if you need help with permitting your own feature, or anything else, our team is always available to help you get the job done.
