There’s no business like show business — but in Los Angeles, it feels like there’s no business at all. If that sounds melodramatic, consider this: The Art Directors Guild, a labor union representing about 3,000 film workers including set designers, art directors and many other artists, is refusing to consider new applicants because 75% of its active members are unemployed. The guild’s pessimism is a reaction to Hollywood’s decline , which is reaching a critical point for the industry and Southern California.
When the writers’ strike of 2023 ended, many of us in the industry felt excited about new opportunities and getting back to work. But production has yet to return to pre-strike numbers . I was champing at the bit to start taking pitches out, only to discover that it was harder than ever to get staffed, put a new series into production or even get into a room to pitch.
While commiserating with other writers and other film workers in Southern California, I found that I wasn’t the only one struggling to find work. Practically everybody I talked to in the industry had a similar story: They had the sense that fewer productions were being greenlit, which means less work for thousands of people — and those shows that are happening are increasingly being made outside of Los Angeles. Production has been slipping away from Hollywood since the 1950s, but the effects have never been more apparent than at present.
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