In an unfortunate turn of events for the Los Angeles film industry, local on-location filming has experienced a sharp decline during the first quarter of this year. According to a report released by FilmLA, there was an 8.7% decrease in shoot days from January through March, with only 6,823 recorded.

The main contributor to this decline is the double-digit loss in television production, which was down 16.2% compared to the same period last year. In Q1, there were only 2,402 shoot days for television, compared to 2,868 in 2023. This downward trend is even more concerning when considering that the television sector currently lags behind its five-year average by 32.8%.

Looking closer at television production, reality TV experienced an 18.6% drop during the first quarter, accounting for 1,317 shoot days. Meanwhile, location-heavy TV dramas witnessed a 5.5% decline, and less location-heavy TV comedies saw a significant plunge of 51.5%.

Interestingly, TV pilots saw a staggering 842.9% increase in quarterly production; however, this only resulted in 66 shoot days, indicating a lack of substantial growth in this area.

On a more positive note, feature film production bucked the trend by rising slightly during Q1, recording 634 shoot days, which was 6.6% higher than the same period in 2023. Despite this small increase, the film office points out that runaway production, series cancellations, and planned reductions in content spend have limited industry output and work opportunities.

FilmLA President Paul Audley expressed the concerns of industry workers who are still struggling to find employment, stating, "Since the first week of January, people have called FilmLA to say, 'I am still looking for work. The phone isn't ringing. Is the industry back?'" He added that while production has slowly stabilized since March, it falls short of expectations and previous levels.

The decline in production was not limited to television; even commercials for television and the web saw a 9.6% decrease in shoot days, totaling 813. Furthermore, the loss of production to other jurisdictions remains a significant concern, as local commercial production levels were nearly a third below their first-quarter five-year average.

The report from FilmLA highlights the connection between shoot days and job creation in the industry, revealing that the delayed return to work is evident in the self-reported number of cast and crew present and working on-location.

As the film industry in Los Angeles continues to grapple with the impact of the dual Hollywood strikes in its efforts to bounce back, industry professionals and job seekers alike patiently await a stronger recovery in the coming months.

Note: The information provided is based solely on the text provided by the user.