The News

FilmLA dropped its Q2 2026 production report on July 23, and the headline is simple: Los Angeles is still slow.

On-location production in Greater Los Angeles hit 4,711 shoot days from April through June 2026. That is down 12.7% from the same quarter last year, when the region logged 5,394 shoot days.

That hurts. Not just for studios. For crews, rental houses, locations, drivers, grips, DPs, PAs, editors, and every small business that lives around a set.

The Tax Credit Is Helping, But It Has Not Fixed The Room

California’s expanded Film and TV Tax Credit Program has awarded 170 projects so far under Program 4.0. FilmLA says many of those projects are expected to film in Greater Los Angeles, but not all of that work shows up in location permit data right away.

That is the key. The money is moving, but the jobs are not fully visible yet. A soundstage show may bring real work to town, but it may not show up in an on-location shoot day count.

So we have two truths at the same time: incentives are starting to pull work back, and LA production is still way below where it needs to be.

Scripted TV Is The Bright Spot

TV production was up 34.4% from Q1 to Q2, landing at 1,607 shoot days. TV drama, in particular, rose 55.1% from the prior quarter.

That matters because scripted TV keeps crews working longer. A feature can come and go fast. A drama season can feed a whole bench of artists for months.

FilmLA pointed to shows like Baywatch, Prison Break, Ballard, Bosch: Start of Watch, and The Night Agent Season 4 as productions that filmed on location in the quarter.

Reality, Features, And Commercials Are Still Sliding

The ugly part is the drop outside scripted. Reality TV fell 39.9% year over year. Feature films fell 19.9%, down to 443 shoot days. Commercials fell 21.5%, down to 543 shoot days.

For filmmakers, this is the part we should watch. The middle of the industry is still thin. Smaller jobs, short runs, day-player work, commercials, and unscripted shoots are a huge part of how crews stay alive between big shows.

The Indie Lesson

Here is what we take from it: do not wait for Hollywood to feel normal again.

If you are making work right now, build lean. Keep your crew tight. Use smaller locations. Plan for speed. Find stories that can be made with control, not chaos.

FilmLA’s “Other” category, which includes student films, shorts, docs, music videos, online content, and still shoots, rose 10% year over year. Online content was a big driver.

That tells us something. Small sets are moving. Fast sets are moving. Lower impact shoots are moving.

What This Means For Us

We love big sets. We love trucks, condors, base camp, walkies, and a full village of people making the frame happen.

But this week’s news is a reminder: the future may not come back in one giant wave. It may come back shoot by shoot, permit by permit, and indie by indie.

If LA wants production back, it needs more than a tax credit. It needs simple permits, fair costs, friendly locations, and a clear reason for filmmakers to stay.

For the rest of us, the move is clear. Keep making. Keep it sharp. Keep it possible.

Sources

FilmLA: California Film Tax Incentives Continue to Create Job Opportunities in Scripted Production

TheWrap: Los Angeles On-Location Production Sinks 12% Despite New Tax Credits

Los Angeles Times: Despite tax credits, filming in L.A. is still sluggish