Filml.A. 2011 Television Pilot Production Report
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2011 Television Pilot Production Report 1201 W. 5th Street, Suite T-800 ● Los Angeles, CA 90017 ● 213.977.8600 ● www.filmla.com 2011 Pilot Production Overview . Each year between January and In '10/'11, more pilots were pro- The staggering rise in cable pilot April, Los Angeles residents observe a duced outside of Los Angeles than in production, and particularly cable comedy marked increase in local on-location any prior year. orders, wholly accounts for all of the year- filming. over-year pilot production increases real- And, just six years ago, the L.A. ized in the Los Angeles region in '10/'11. New television pilots, produced in region captured as much as 82 percent anticipation of May screenings for tele- of all television pilots made in a given vision advertisers, join continuing TV year. Now, it captures only 51 percent. Pilot Production Locations series, feature films and commercial projects in competition for talent, crews, stage space and sought-after The Rise of Cable Television Notwithstanding the recent increase locations. in cable pilot production, Los Angeles continues to lose pilot production share But unfortunately, it seems our To learn what made the '10/'11 due to the impact of out-of-state financial busiest pilot seasons are behind us. pilot development cycle the largest production incentives. The availability of ever observed, one need look no further financial production incentives is a key FilmL.A. — the not-for-profit or- than cable television. factor influencing where pilot producers ganization that coordinates permits for choose to film. filmed entertainment shot on-location Cable networks, once content to in the City of Los Angeles, unincorpo- air syndicated television series and During the '10/'11 development cy- rated parts of Los Angeles County and reruns of classic films, now choose to cle, 87 television pilots were filmed on Los other local jurisdictions — recently screen a variety of original scripted Angeles streets and stages. Another 82 updated its ongoing annual study of content. Unsurprisingly, television pilots — of which 67 were coveted one- television pilots1 in production. producers now devote considerable hour drama projects — were produced resources to the production of cable outside the region in competing jurisdic- FilmL.A.’s official count shows television pilots. tions. that 169 broadcast and cable television pilots were produced during the '10/'11 Since 2008, when FilmL.A. first According to FilmL.A.’s research, development cycle2, making the past began classifying television pilots by some form of production incentive was year the most productive on record. intended distribution channel, we’ve available in every one of the non- Unfortunately, most of that increase in observed a 250 percent increase in the California locations used during the '10/'11 production did not benefit Los Angeles. total number of cable pilots produced development cycle. per development cycle (24 in '08/'09 vs. Out of those 169 projects, a total 86 in '10/'11). Domestic locales used by producers of 87 television pilots were produced in included Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisi- the Los Angeles region. By one meas- In '10/'11, slightly more than half ana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New ure, this is second-largest annual take of all television pilots produced were Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North in Los Angeles history, totaling eleven for cable television networks. Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, projects more than the prior cycle and Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas just fourteen fewer than L.A. handled Cable networks have also come to and Washington. Non-U.S. during its peak year '04/'05. rival broadcast networks in the variety locations included multiple of scripted programming they offer. Canadian Provinces, the But a deeper analysis raises sober- The ratio of comedy to drama pilots Czech Republic, Ireland, ing questions about L.A.’s long-term produced is now nearly the same for Puerto Rico and attractiveness to pilot producers. cable as for broadcast networks. This New Zealand. wasn’t the case just three years ago, when there were very few pilot orders for original cable comedy series. “169 pilots were produced in the '10/'11 development cycle, making the past year the most productive on record. Unfortunately, most of that increase in production did not benefit Los Angeles.” 1 . Key Production Trends TV PILOT PRODUCTION BY NETWORK TYPE 180 169 160 Total TV Pilots 140 Produced During 120 the 2010/2011 100 Development Cycle 80 60 40 87 # of Total Pilots Produced # of Total Pilots 20 Total Pilots 0 Produced Within Los Angeles Region '07/'08 '08/'09 '09/'10 '10/'11 Pilot Development Cycle Broadcast Television Networks Cable Television Networks 86 Total Pilots Produced for Cable As the initial episode of a proposed Pilots’ Economic Importance television series, many pilots are made, Television Distribution but only a few will ever be shown to viewers on broadcast or cable television. Pilot producers’ reliance on produc- With a few notable exceptions each sea- tion incentives introduces a pair of related concerns for those who work in television son, before a pilot can be green-lighted for series, it must first win the confidence of in L.A. television advertisers.3 71 On one hand, lost production share For decades, broadcast networks carries with it the threat of diminished Percent of Local Pilot pilot season spending. But even worse, have courted advertisers in an expensive Production Days Histori- and seasonally-driven “upfronts” process. the one-time loss of a pilot can easily lead Every year in late May, advertisers preview to the permanent loss of a promising se- cally Filmed By June 30 the shows that will go on to be aired in the ries. fall or early next year as mid-season re- placements. According to industry sources, the average pilot directly employs about 150 In the past, industry observers pre- people for the duration of the project. dicted that this seasonal production cycle 67 would soon disappear. In '08/'09, in the Typical pilot production costs, having wake of an industry contract dispute that risen over the years, now average about $2 Total One-Hour temporarily halted film and TV production million (for comedy pilots) and $5.5 million Drama Pilots Produced (for drama pilots). Presentations, which in L.A., it seemed possible that industry Outside L.A. This Season executives could pull the plug on pilot are sometimes made in lieu of pilots, are season. cheaper yet at $150K each. It now appears that the rumors were Based on these figures, FilmL.A. esti- unfounded. FilmL.A. data reveal that, mates that approximately $249 million was while cable pilots are indeed produced spent on television pilot production in Los $249m year-round in Los Angeles and elsewhere, Angeles during the '10/'11 development 4 as of 2011 the majority of network televi- cycle. sion pilots are produced during a well- Estimated Total Pilot defined pilot season that spans the first This is more than L.A.-based pilot Production Spending producers spent last year, but notably 19 and second quarters of the calendar year. in L.A. Region percent less than they spent back in On average (2005-2010), 71 percent '04/'05. of local permitted production days (PPD) for TV Pilots occur before the end of June. 2 Television Pilots Produced by Location, '05-'11 '08/'09 '09/'10 '10/'11 '04 '05 '06 '07 '05 '06 '07 '08 Network Cable Network Cable Network Cable Los Angeles - One Hour 101 81 30 35 17 5 14 6 10 13 - Half Hour total total 52 30 32 5 39 17 38 26 New York - One Hour 8 11 9 9 1 5 0 2 10 5 - Half Hour total total 0 1 1 3 1 2 0 2 Canada - One Hour 4 11 3 12 10 2 9 7 8 10 - Half Hour total total 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 Other Locations - One Hour 11 17 6 4 11 7 20 10 16 19 - Half Hour total total 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 11 DEVELOPMENT CYCLE TOTAL 124 120 100 91 103 129 169 But series loss poses a bigger eco- That season, L.A. hosted 55 one-hour “We can thank the local studio base nomic threat to the region. Historically, dramas and 48 half-hour comedies. and vast availability of local soundstages pilots made in Los Angeles were highly as reasons comedies locate in Los Ange- likely to stay in the region if picked up In the 2011/2012 television viewing les,” Audley added. “But until our state for series production. At one time, season, Los Angeles will host a total of regains its competitive edge, the threat of pilots produced in other jurisdictions 104 shows, including 45 one-hour dra- television job and spending losses is quite could also be expected to return to mas and 59 half-hour comedies. real.” L.A., but no longer. The difference reflects the recent Though not a focus of this report, Today, the availability of produc- cancellation of 35 previously L.A.-based other soundstage-reliant facets of Los tion incentives and established produc- series, combined with weak overall Angeles’ television production industry are tion infrastructure outside Los Angeles drama series pickup from the '10/'11 worthy of mention. The L.A. region hosts appear to be making L.A. vulnerable to pilot development cycle. numerous television talk shows, including the loss of long-term series production Conan, Lopez Tonight, The Tonight Show, share. The loss of just one television Last Call with Carson Daly, The Late Late drama series can amount to hundreds of Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel To help quantify this problem, lost jobs and millions of dollars of lost Live, The Talk and Ellen.