L.A. Soundstage Usage Steady in Early 2025, Yet Still Lower Than a Decade Ago, Reports FilmLA
Los Angeles continues to hold its position as the global leader in soundstage availability, yet a significant portion of this space remains underutilized. According to a report released by FilmLA on Wednesday, the average occupancy rate for soundstages in the first half of 2025 stands at 62%, a slight decrease from 63% in the previous year.
This trend reflects a continued decline since 2023, when occupancy rates were at 69%. The recent figures indicate a 35.4% drop from the 96% occupancy peak recorded in 2016, the year FilmLA issued its first “Sound Stage Production Report.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, occupancy rates remained in the mid-90s before experiencing a notable 25.6% decrease from 2022 to 2023.
FilmLA’s data also reveals that the total number of projects utilizing participant soundstages increased by 5%, rising from 1,225 in 2023 to 1,287 in 2024. However, the total number of shoot days decreased by 8%, falling from 8,671 to 7,940. This decline can largely be attributed to a 23% reduction in scripted television shoot days on participant stages between 2023 and 2024.
The organization defines a “shoot day” as the filming permitted for one crew at one or more locations within a 24-hour period. The 17 studio participants in the FilmLA report include major legacy studios and larger independent companies, which collectively account for approximately 75% of the 6.9 million square feet of certified soundstage space in the Los Angeles market. Despite this dominance, rival markets such as New York and the UK have doubled their soundstage inventories over the past five years.
The report arrives amid a concerning decline in on-location filming in Los Angeles, which saw a 16.1% drop in 2025, following declines of 14% in 2024 and 20% in 2023. This downturn raises questions about the future viability of the industry in a city that has long been a hub for film and television production.
