REEL WORK WINDS DOWN; OFF-LOT PRODUCTION DIPS 4.2%, A REVERSAL AFTER 3 YEARS OF SIGNIFICANT GROWTH.Byline: Dave McNary McNary may refer to:
Year-end statistics released Friday for entertainment production in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County don't show a pretty picture, with off-lot activity falling 4.2 percent in 1998 after three years of supercharged su·per·charge tr.v. su·per·charged, su·per·charg·ing, su·per·charg·es 1. To increase the power of (an engine, for example), as by fitting with a supercharger. 2. growth. The most distressing data, based on permits issued by the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., comes in three key areas: feature films, down 13.1 percent; commercials, off 7.5 percent; and TV, down 4.5 percent. But industry trackers say they're not alarmed, pointing out that 1998's total of 45,653 production days is still a whopping 71 percent above the 1994 level and projecting this year's total will remain steady with 1998. ``These numbers are pretty much what we expected,'' said Cody Cluff, EIDC's director. ``The big key will be what happens in feature films. Most of them are budgeted lower than what we've seen in the past.'' Both The Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966) Disney, Walter Elias Disney Co. and Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . have trimmed big-budget projects from their schedules to focus more on moderately priced movies, but demand for TV and commercials continues to be strong, Cluff said. There have usually been 100 and 150 crews working outside studio lots in the county on most days this year. ``Things are really pretty good,'' Cluff said. ``Communities treat filming pretty well, and crews are well-behaved.'' Patti Stolkin Archuletta, director of the California California (kăl'ĭfôr`nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W). Film Commission, stressed that a leveling off was inevitable. ``We aren't in a panic,'' she added. ``What we're finding is that we're not seeing a lot of longer shoots on features. There's no question that studios are keeping a close watch on the bottom line.'' The entire 1998 decline can be traced to 25.7 percent and 18.1 percent drops in activity in September and October, respectively, fueled by back-to-back plunges of 41 percent and 44 percent in movie production. Some cited runaway production  An editor has expressed concern that this article or section is .Please help improve the article by adding information and sources on neglected viewpoints, or by summarizing and to Canada, which has far lower costs, and places like New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , which trumpeted increased production numbers this week. But Cluff believes that little of the gains in Canadian Canadian (kənā`dēən), river, 906 mi (1,458 km) long, rising in NE New Mexico. and flowing E across N Texas and central Oklahoma into the Arkansas River in E Oklahoma. activity are coming at Hollywood's expense, and scouts say the flight from Hollywood is not significant. ``I don't think leaving town is that prevalent right now,'' said Walter Roshetski, director of commercial locations for Burbank-based Universal Locations. ``I'm not worried about it.'' Roshetski said producers remain attracted to shooting locally because the presence of film crews is no surprise to residents, who tend to be mostly cooperative. ``If you go to Chicago or New York, you may see some shooting, but you're always seeing trucks in Los Angeles,'' he added. ``It's a way of life out here.'' Jim Thompson Thompson, city, Canada Thompson, city (1991 pop. 14,977), central Man., Canada, on the Burntwood River. A mining town, it developed after large nickel deposits were discovered in the area in 1956. , head of Van Nuys-based Real to Reel scouting scouting: see Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts. scouting Activities of various national and worldwide organizations for youth aimed at developing character, citizenship, and individual skills. Scouting began when Robert S. service, said activity has been solid this month and should pick up soon. ``We're getting a lot of TV, like `Providence' and `The X-Files,' and a lot of commercials, particularly this time of year because the weather is so much nicer than other parts of the country,'' he added. ``We are anticipating a rush because we're getting into pilot season.'' Thompson said producers and directors are seeking significant numbers of warehouses, hospitals and relatively simple homes. ``So our plan is to increase our portfolio of everyday `Father Knows Best' homes,'' he added. NOT AS STRONG Entertainment production in L.A. County - as measured by days of production off studio lots - was down in 1998 vs. '97 but still much higher than earlier this decade. '93: 26,813 '94: 26,698 '95: 33,982 '96: 43,982 '97: 47,669 '98: 45,653 SOURCE: Entertainment Industry Development Corp. CAPTION(S): Chart CHART: NOT AS STRONG (see text) |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion