A year after the writers’ and actors’ strikes that stalled the film and television industry, production activity in New York City remains stuck in low gear, according to city data and interviews with more than a dozen local actors, writers, executives and crew members.
The past several years have been enormously challenging for many New Yorkers in the industry. First there were the pandemic shutdowns, which brought production to a halt. Then, there were the strikes that began in May 2023. “It’s not just a New York City shift, it’s an industry shift. It’s a national shift,” said Pat Kaufman, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.
Shooting permits for film, television, and commercial projects issued by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment in New York CityLocation shooting permits issued for film, television, and commercial projects in NYC, which serve as a general proxy for industry-wide activity, are down 22% for the year through November compared to the same period in 2022 . They are down 43% from that period in 2019 , according to city data obtained by Gothamist.
Kaufman believes New York City will weather the slowdown due to the state’s generous tax credit for production companies that film here, the expanding roster of soundstages for filming in and around the city, and the unique commodity of New York City as a filming location.