A strange thing happened at City Hall last week. For the first time anyone can recall, the Los Angeles City Council handed out awards to a group of filmmakers for simply shooting in town.

City Council members took time out last Friday morning to pay tribute to Michael Robin and Greer Shephard, the producing team behind the locally shot TV series “The Closer” and ” Nip/Tuck;” Louis D’Esposito, co-president of Marvel Studios and an executive producer of the ” Iron Man” films, both of which were filmed in L.A.; and Glenn Gainor, head of physical production at Sony Pictures Entertainment film unit Screen Gems, which has shot several movies in the city.

That the city would bestow honors on those who chose to film in their backyard might seem odd for a place that is the epicenter of entertainment, but these are unusual times for local production. Last year, on-location filming posted its steepest ever year-over-year decline on record, thanks largely to heavy competition from more than 40 states vying for the same business by offering generous tax incentives and rebates.

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