FilmLA has released its updated Scripted Content Study, and the headline is blunt: California — and particularly Los Angeles — is losing ground. According to the 2024 analysis, only 18.3% of all U.S.-produced, first-run, English-language scripted projects released last year were filmed in the Los Angeles region, a slight dip from 18.5% in 2023 and a steep fall from 21.9% in 2022.
That percentage represents a shrinking piece of a shrinking pie. Total releases declined 13.4%, from 990 scripted projects in 2023 to 857 in 2024 — a direct ripple effect of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that halted productions and delayed releases throughout the industry.
Within those 857 projects, Los Angeles’ total number of locally shot productions fell from 183 to 157, down 14.2% year-over-year, with the sharpest declines happening in scripted television. In this category, L.A. lost more than a quarter of its volume, plunging 26.7%.
FilmLA Vice President of Communications Philip Sokoloski summed it up plainly: “There are far fewer film projects being made in Los Angeles than there were in the recent past.” He stressed that the newly expanded California Film and Television Tax Credit Program — now boosted to $750 million annually — isn’t just economic stimulus, but “a critical form of protection for working families” who depend on production jobs in the region.
Where the Work Is Going
The charts in the report make the migration clear:
- Television: From 365 TV series in 2023 to only 310 in 2024 — a 15.1% industry-wide drop, but a deeper 26.7% drop for L.A. specifically.
- Streaming TV: Down from 49 L.A.-shot projects in 2023 to just 37 in 2024.
- Cable Series: L.A. plunged from 26 to 11, a staggering 57.7% collapse.
- Broadcast: The only category with relative stability: 30 down to 29.
Meanwhile, filming jurisdictions like the UK, Georgia, Ontario, and British Columbia continue to surge — in some categories doubling their counts year-over-year (as shown in “Top Ten Filming Jurisdictions” on pages 7–10).
Feature films tell a slightly different story — theatrical releases actually increased 13.1 percent from 199 to 225, and L.A. captured more theatrical and streaming film production than last year. But TV — the engine that keeps crews employed year-round — remains the most significant area of loss.
Why It Matters, And Why 2026 Could Be a Turning Point
The first wave of projects approved under California’s new Tax Credit Program 4.0 won’t be required to enter production until January 2026. That means the industry won’t feel the impact of these expanded incentives until late next year at the earliest.
With 120 domestic and international jurisdictions offering aggressive incentives and infrastructure — and many feeling cheaper or easier than California — the state’s move to expand tax credits was seen as critical, even urgent.
Without it, we might be looking at a permanent shift that leaves the “Hollywood” part of Hollywood more symbolic than literal.
But this study offers a cautious hope: if incentives do what they’re designed to do, L.A. could regain ground in 2026 and beyond. If not, the downward trend documented here will accelerate.
A Note on Methodology
FilmLA’s analysis tracks:
- Only scripted, first-run, English-language U.S. projects
- Released in 2024
- Excludes documentaries, reality, animation, and short-form content
- Counts projects by release year, not production year
- Measures number of unique projects, not:
- shoot days
- budgets
- episode counts
- scale of production
That means a low-budget two-episode streaming miniseries counts the same as a 10-episode flagship series — a reminder that the report measures quantity, not economic weight.
The Bottom Line
The 2024 Scripted Content Study paints an unmistakable picture: production is down across the board, Los Angeles is losing share, and global competition is fiercer than ever. But the newly expanded tax incentives, combined with L.A.’s infrastructure and deep talent pool, could set the stage for a rebound — if California moves quickly enough.
For now, the takeaway, as FilmLA puts it, is that this is a “critical moment” for protecting the livelihoods that built the entertainment capital of the world.
REELated:
Illinois Film Tax Incentives strengthened in newly passed bill
