Robust television production for the fall season helped increase overall on-location production in Los Angeles County by 7 percent for the third quarter when compared with the same period last year. But feature film production dropped in the county, keeping local production far below its peak in 1996. “While we have been fortunate to host a few high profile feature films and retains several promising new TV shows, you can’t discount the toll in lost jobs and local spending when features pass on L.A. in favor of lower-cost locales,” said Steve McDonald, president of Film LA, the not for profit agency assisting with the permitting process in the county. For the third quarter, 9,930 permitted production days took place for feature films, television shows and commercials. That is an increase over the 9.262 permitted days during the same period in 2005. Television production jumped 15.5 percent to 5,833 permitted days as compared with the 5,049 permitted days in the third quarter of 2005. Reality television programming accounted for 41 percent of all on-location television activity, followed by 36 percent for dramas. Feature film production accounted for 2,423 permitted days for the third quarter, a drop of 5 percent from the 2,559 permitted days in the same time period in 2005. Feature film production hit a high of 3,580 permitted days in the third quarter of 1996. Feature films that have shot in the Los Angeles area recently include “Spider-Man: 3,” “Transformers: Prime Directive,” and “Live Free or Die Hard.” Los Angeles-based fall television series include “Ugly Betty,” “Jericho,” and “The Nine.” “All of these productions provide work and steady paychecks for local crews,” McDonald said.
