2 months ago
Los Angeles is nan worldwide leader successful disposable soundstage space, but plentifulness of it is going unused. FilmLA said Wednesday that its information for nan first six months of 2025 shows conscionable a 62% mean occupancy rate, but nan agleam spot is that’s down only somewhat from nan 63% soundstage occupancy successful 2024.
But nan study (read it here) continues a downward inclination since successful spot since nan onslaught twelvemonth of 2023, erstwhile L.A.-area soundstage occupancy was astatine 69%. The number for nan first half of 2025 represents a 35.4% diminution from nan highest of 96% occupancy successful 2016, erstwhile FilmLA published its inaugural “Sound Stage Production Report.” The numbers remained successful nan mid-90s done nan Covid era earlier a important 25.6% alteration from 2022 to 2023. Here is simply a comparison:
FilmLA, nan partner movie agency for nan City and County of Los Angeles and different section jurisdictions, said nan full number of projects changeable connected subordinate stages from January-June 2025 accrued somewhat by 5% from 1,225 to 1,287 betwixt 2023 and 2024. At nan aforesaid time, nan full number of sprout days declined by 8% from 8,671 to 7,940. Much of that tin beryllium attributed to a alteration successful sprout days associated pinch scripted TV, which plunged by 23% connected subordinate stages betwixt 2023 and 2024.
The statement defines a “shoot day” arsenic 1 crew’s permitted filming astatine 1 aliases much locations wrong a 24-hour period.
The 17 workplace participants successful FilmLA’s study see each nan awesome bequest studios and nan larger independents, representing astir 75% of nan existent 6.9 cardinal quadrate feet of certified shape abstraction successful nan Los Angeles market. While nan L.A. area remains nan leader successful disposable sound stages, rival markets including New York and nan UK person doubled their inventories during nan past 5 years.
The study comes a troubling downturn successful on-location filming successful L.A., which fell by 16.1% successful 2025 aft a 14% diminution successful 2024 and 20% driblet successful 2023.
