FilmLA's Wednesday report shows total activity across feature films, TV series, documentaries and commercials fell 4.8% from the same quarter last year. Television eased 2.8% to 1,400 shooting days, with comedy softening declines in other genres. Features ticked up 2.1% to 533 days.
Ads were the weak link. Commercial shoots, which are not eligible for the state incentive, dropped 15.9% to 566 days.
In Los Angeles, 40.3% of scripted production came from projects participating in California's incentive program, nearly double their portion from a year ago. "Where the tax credit applies, it's working to bring productions back to Los Angeles and put local crews to work," said Denise Gutches, FilmLA's chief executive officer. "Still, overall production remains far below where Los Angeles needs it to be, and crews and businesses across the region are feeling it."
In July 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom increased the state's annual production rebates to $750 million, more than doubling the amount. Earlier in October, the California Film Commission awarded credits to 35 films, including 28 independents, with those projects expected to total 1,049 shooting days in the state.
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Titles on the Q3 slate in Los Angeles included Netflix Inc.'s 13 Going on 30, Cut Off from Warner Bros. Pictures, and They Follow from Neon. Most of the quarter's feature activity came from independent productions such as My Darling California and Salsa Sangre.
The long view is tougher. Against five-year averages, feature shoot days are down 19%, commercials are off 41%, and TV is lower by 53%.
In plain English: incentives are pulling more scripted projects back to LA, yet total volume is still muted. That mix matters for budgets at studios, streamers and ad buyers with exposure to production spend, as well as for vendors tied to shoot days like equipment rental, post houses and location services. The bottom line: watch who lands incentive-fueled work versus who stays most tied to the still-weak base in TV and advertising.
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