VENICE, CA — The nonprofit FilmLA reported Thursday that film operations have increased since the industry was shut down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Nonprofit FilmLA reports that film productions increased in August in Los Angeles.
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Since June, FilmLA said it has received approximately 1,127 film permit applications from 829 unique projects. Monthly application intake increased nearly 40% in August as compared to July, and daily intake now averages around 27 applications per business day.
After rising quickly in mid-August, overall activity levels have stabilized at around 44% of what FilmLA said it would expect under normal summer conditions.
“As an essential contributor to the greater Los Angeles economy, film production responsibly returning to our communities is a welcome sight,” FilmLA President Paul Audley said. “Of course, as Gov. (Gavin) Newsom and public health experts remind us, COVID-19 will be with us for a long time. We are therefore mindful of the public health orders governing current filming practices and grateful for filmmakers’ conscientious embrace of crew and community safety on all permitted productions.”
After receiving the go-ahead from local authorities to begin processing film permits, FilmLA said it resumed remote office operations on June 15. In April, the organization had furloughed half of its staff of 108 but have brought a number of people back on as the number of permits have increased.
Limited filming activity was underway in the region by June 19, and currently, all 16 of the city and county jurisdictions served by FilmLA are open to filming, the organization stated.
One of the six school districts served by FilmLA has also reopened to host filming and base camp parking on campus.
A number of productions were in limbo since March, but last month more activity started—mostly outdoors.
The show “S.W.A.T.” has been in production in Los Angeles for a number of weeks, along with the pandemic drama “Songbird” produced by Michael Bay and starring K.J. Apa and Sofia Carson, Variety reports.
– City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.
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