Entertainment
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L.A. County Entertainment
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Lights! Camera! Action! Long heralded as the entertainment capital of the world, Hollywood and surrounding areas of Los Angeles County, including Culver City and the San Fernando Valley, are home to major studios such as Disney, Fox, Paramount, Dreamworks, Sony/Columbia, NBC/Universal, and Warner Bros. These media conglomerates along with the scores of smaller studios, production companies, and allied suppliers provide work for over 159,900 people in L.A. County while generating billions in economic activity.
While movie premieres get the red carpet treatment, television, both broadcast and cable, is the bread and butter of the entertainment industry with TV commercial production adding to this thriving sector.
The recording industry also continues to play a pivotal role in L.A. County’s economy, with each of the major studios involved along with a legion of independent labels.
All five major broadcast networks have studio operations in the area. Such well known programs as The Tonight Show, American Idol, and Jeopardy! are taped here along with dozens of other network and syndicated shows and specials.
New media including video games, web development and other interactive technologies are emerging as an important, high-growth area of this segment of the County economy.
Supporting the cluster are numerous trade unions, talent agencies, and professional services specializing in entertainment clientele.
A significant number of local colleges and universities support the industry with strong film, broadcast, animation, and music programs. Among the most highly-regarded are USC, UCLA, Cal Arts, and Loyola Marymount.