LOS ANGELES : Before Hollywood writers walked off the job in early May, Pam Elyea's prop house History for Hire filled an average of 53 requests per week for everything from period-appropriate cameras and luggage to camping gear and snow globes.
Small businesses in Los Angeles and beyond are taking a hit from the strike. Florists, caterers, costume suppliers and others have seen orders dwindle as many are still recovering from disruptions caused by COVID-19. One rough measure of the current toll is the number of permits issued for movie and TV filming in Los Angeles. That number has fallen 56 per cent from a year ago, according to permitting organization FilmLA.
"You've got people who have barely recovered from COVID," said Ross Garner, managing director in NFP's Entertainment Group, an insurance broker for rental houses and production and audio/visual companies."They really don't have the reserves that they had four years ago, pre-COVID, to help them survive this potentially extended period."
Some assistance is available. California's Work Sharing Program is designed to help companies avoid layoffs. An employer can reduce a worker's hours to four days a week, for example, and ask the state to temporarily cover the fifth. As productions in Santa Fe dried up during the strike, the owners tightened spending. John Iverson said the store has not been able to fully restock inventory since the pandemic disruptions. Iverson estimates Kowboyz's selection of cowboy boots is down to about 1,500 pairs, or about half its typical stock.