On Location: Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen bring some comic relief to L.A. production scene
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Credit Barbra Streisand and comedian Seth Rogen for helping spur a long-overdue boost in local film activity.
On-location shooting of feature films in Los Angeles -- which occurs on streets and noncertified soundstages -- rose nearly 50% last week over the same period a year ago, accounting for 97 production days, according to the latest permit data from FilmLA Inc.
The increase marked the first time in six weeks that on-location feature film production has actually increased in Los Angeles, which faces stiff competition from other cities vying for the business.
One reason for the upswing was the filming of ‘My Mother’s Curse,’ a new comedy starring Streisand and Rogen about an inventor and his mother. The Paramount Pictures movie, which began shooting in the second week of April and received a state film tax credit, has been filming in various locations downtown and in Woodland Hills.
Also contributing to the increased activity is a new feature film, ‘Nobody Walks,’ starring ‘The Office’s’ John Krasinski. The picture has been filming at a private residence and other locations in the Sherman Oaks area.
Feature films generated 880 production days in the first quarter of 2011, down 5% from the same period a year ago. That included 10 feature films that benefited from the state film tax credit program, which provides a 20% to 25% tax credit on qualified production expenses.
On-location shoots for television also rose last week, climbing 7% over the same week a year ago, while commericial production activity dropped 34%, a third consecutive week of declines. Production across all three categories rose 2%, according to the FilmLA data.
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-- Richard Verrier
