L.A. Aims to Lower Production Costs by Requiring Only One City Staffer on Film Sets

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is aiming to reduce production costs by requiring only a single city staffer on film and TV sets.

Bass will issue an executive order on Tuesday that is also intended to streamline the permitting process for film shoots. Under current practices, multiple city staff — including firefighters and retired or off-duty police — may be required to serve as on-set monitors.

Political leaders are looking for ways to make Los Angeles a more attractive place to shoot, as the industry confronts a global production downturn.

“The City is taking bold action to support our legacy industry,” Bass said in a statement. “Keeping entertainment production in LA means keeping good-paying jobs in L.A., and that’s what we are fighting for.”

Last month, the city council instructed staff to develop recommendations on how to make the permitting process more efficient and cost-competitive. The request included a suggestion that the number of public safety officers could be reduced.

Most city-owned property is available to shoot for free. However, it can be more difficult to get permission to shoot at certain iconic locations, such as Griffith Observatory and the Central Library.

Bass’ order includes a provision to establish guidelines for those high-profile locales and to shorten review timelines. The order also calls for a reduction in fees.

Councilman Adrin Nazarian has also called for enforcement action against parking lot owners who engage in “price gouging” of film productions. Some in the industry complain that parking lot owners charge excessive rental fees for crew parking, though it is not clear that the law provides a remedy for that.

“Film friendliness” is a perennial issue at L.A. City Hall, as elected leaders face pressure to accommodate a signature industry. Mayor James Hahn issued an order to streamline the permitting process in February 2004.

“I know we have done this before,” he said at the time, according to a 2004 article in the Hollywood Reporter. “A lot of people have said, ‘Yeah, we have seen this; been here, done that. But whatever happened out of it?’ We will make sure that the suggestion and the policy that we develop will be followed through.”

The California Legislature is also looking to expand the state tax incentive for film and TV production from $330 million to $750 million per year.