Study: On-Location Filming In Hollywood Down 60 Percent

HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Entertainment industry experts Friday called for Sacramento to help stem runaway production and bring jobs back to Hollywood.

KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports a new study shows that despite the economy, showbiz is still big business in Los Angeles County.

The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation released the study (PDF) at its inaugural "State of the Entertainment Industry" conference organized by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as part of its "Restoring Hollywood" campaign.

Chief Economist Robert Kleinhenz estimated that while about 162,000 entertainment jobs are tied to Los Angeles County specifically, "when you look at the ripple effect, it's close to 600,000 jobs."

Analysts estimate on-location filming in LA has plunged by 60 percent over the past 15 years due to runaway production.

But even after decades of losing production to more competitive states, the county still has nearly 35 percent of all motion picture and sound production nationwide, according to the study.

Still, those attending the conference - including Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Arleta), Sen. Curren Price (D-Los Angeles), and Michael Rossi, Gov. Jerry Brown's senior adviser for jobs and business development - agreed the county cannot continue to afford losing productions to other states and countries.

"It's one of the issues that has been plaguing the industry for the last several years," Kleinhenz said.

Leron Gubler, President and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said Sacramento needs to hand out tax credits that are longer in duration and can remain competitive with other states.

"You've got New York and other places saying, 'Hey, come to us, we can guarantee you these film tax credits for several years,'" Gubler said. "If we're going to bring back some of the series, television series, those types of shows need multi-year commitments."

Click here to read the full study.