Long the epicenter of global entertainment, Los Angeles is now grappling with a production drought so severe that even accomplished industry veterans are struggling to find work—leaving the city's creative heart and economy on uncertain ground. Veterans like animator Brian Mainolfi—who once worked for Disney and American Dad and learned from the famed Chuck Jones—now find themselves scraping by, the Wall Street Journal reports. Mainolfi, who earned nearly $100,000 in better years, now teaches college animation for a fraction of his old salary, burning through savings to support his family as union health care is set to run out.
The post-strike slowdown, which includes streaming growth fizzling, has sent jobs, and the people who depend on them, packing. Los Angeles County's motion picture workforce has shrunk by nearly a third since 2022. Filming in town is pricier than ever, and with tax breaks elsewhere, Georgia and British Columbia have lured much of the action. The average annual occupancy rate for soundstages fell to 63% last year, per the Los Angeles Times, a 6-point drop from 2023. The effects are widespread.
Milk Jar Cookies, a favorite for showbiz catering, declared bankruptcy and closed. Oscar-winning sound mixer Thomas Curley, once overwhelmed by offers, hasn't had steady work in over a year. Writer Matt Walsh, who finally broke through with a script in 2023, is back to assistant gigs, per the Journal. Veteran assistant director Susan Hellman is among those who left Los Angeles altogether. Attempts to revive the industry, which include a boost to California's tax credit and calls for federal incentives, have not yet stemmed the exodus. Some workers are retraining in fields as far-flung as phlebotomy, while others hold out for a rebound. And people are still moving to LA with hopes of making it, the Journal notes.
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