Naman Shrestha
HBO’s ‘I Love LA’ is a comedy series that acquaints us with a talent manager in her 20s named Maia, who aspires to move up the ranks at the client management firm where she is employed. Besides having a live-in boyfriend named Dylan, Maia spends most of her time with her friends, including a celebrity stylist named Charlie and Alani, who works at her famous father’s company. When her attempt to get a promotion fails, Maia returns home to her boyfriend feeling dejected.
However, when she reaches home, she is met by her former best friend and an up-and-coming social media star named Tallulah. In order to earn her promotion, Maia takes her as a client. The creation of Rachel Sennott explores the complexities associated with friendships, relationships, and ambitions. Besides Sennott, the comedy series also features compelling performances from Odessa A’zion, Jordan Firstman, True Whitaker, and Josh Hutcherson. As the title suggests, the story unfolds in the sprawling city of Los Angeles, which is explored through the eyes of the characters.
I Love LA Filming Locations
Production for ‘I Love LA’ is carried out primarily in California, especially in Los Angeles County and San Francisco. Principal photography for the debut season of the Rachel Sennott creation and starrer seemingly took place in the spring and summer of 2025, over the course of a few months. Since the shooting takes place on location across the Golden State, a layer of authenticity is added to the narrative, which is based in and around LA.
Los Angeles County, California
A major portion of ‘I Love LA’ was lensed in different parts across Los Angeles County, situated in Southern California. The filming unit set up camp at Warner Bros. Burbank Studios at 4000 Warner Boulevard in the city of Burbank. To be specific, they utilized Stage 26 to tape the indoor scenes involving Maia and Dylan’s LA apartment. Home to 29 different-sized sound stages, the film studio also offers a wide variety of exterior sets, including a Midwest town center, a New York City street, a French Street, and a jungle lagoon. Apart from Downtown LA, plenty of pivotal sequences were also recorded in the neighborhoods of Silver Lake and Echo Park. The cast and crew members were also spotted shooting several key portions outside the Haley Solar clothing store at 4606 Eagle Rock Boulevard in the city.
Besides the City of Angels, the production team also utilized the locales of the city of West Hollywood. As per reports, one of the Erewhon outlets also served as a shooting location for ‘I Love LA.’ Moreover, the iconic Heflin House, located at 1935 Stonehouse Road in the city of Sierra Madre, hosted the production of multiple scenes. In an interview with The Fader, True Whitaker, who portrays Alani, was asked about her memories of shooting the episode involving Elijah Wood. She stated, “There were a lot of aspects to the three days of that shoot that were dangerous, but also exhilarating and fun. The house we filmed in was surrounded by bears, for a start. Working with Elijah was like a dream, though. I got super starstruck…”
San Francisco, California
Aside from the titular metropolis, the cast and crew also taped a few scenes of ‘I Love LA’ in Northern California, particularly in San Francisco. According to reports, the team visited the Church of Scientology of San Francisco, located at 701 Montgomery Street, to tape a few sequences. It is likely that several other locales in the state were also chosen as filming sites for the chaotic adventures of the friend group as they try to find their sense of worth in the contemporary world. The City by the Bay has an established reputation in the world of movie and TV production. Its diverse landscape, ranging from stunning coastal views to serene hilly terrains and bustling streets, as well as layered Victorian architecture, enables it to stand in for various cities and capture a range of tones.
Alongside its versatility and iconic landmarks, the tax incentives, proximity to LA, availability of first-rate production facilities, and experienced technicians and local talent further make it a favorable shooting spot. Therefore, it makes sense why the team of ‘I Love LA’ settled on San Francisco to lens a minor portion. From what we can tell, the production process went smoothly overall. However, having said that, they faced a few hiccups but managed to pull through in the end. In an interview with ELLE, Rachel Sennott talked about her experience wearing the director’s hat for the first time. She said, “I think I loved it. There were moments where I was like, ‘This is incredible. I’m in the flow.’ Then there were moments where I was like, ‘I’m going to fucking die,’ during the last two days… The last two days were hard. It was really hot out, and it was a lot of shooting.”
