On January 16, Mayor Karen Bass published an update highlighting the City of Los Angeles’ filming reforms under Executive Directive 11 (“Reel Change – Supporting Local Film and Television Production”). This initiative is designed to support local film, television, and commercial production and help protect creative sector jobs.
The City is moving forward with practical solutions to address three main concerns: overall production cost, film location access, and the City’s permit process. The agreed-upon goal for all involved, including FilmLA as a City advisor, is to keep Greater Los Angeles as the global leader in production and help keep quality, middle-class jobs here in Hollywood.
“Los Angeles is the creative capital of the world, and City leaders know that City Hall needs to be a champion for keeping entertainment production jobs right here at home,” said Mayor Bass. “I want to recognize Councilmember Nazarian for his outstanding partnership and leadership to bolster our local entertainment industry. As we make it easier for local productions to film in LA, I know that our work will continue together to unlock even more opportunities for the next great story to be filmed in our buildings, on our streets and by our world-class talent.”
Many of these reforms started as recommendations to the City from FilmLA and our industry-centered Board of Directors. As part of our service to the region, FilmLA provides ongoing policy guidance to the City and County of Los Angeles and other municipal clients. Last spring, FilmLA submitted 17 specific reform recommendations to the Board of Public Works and the Los Angeles City Council. We followed up with additional proposals after hosting listening sessions with producers, location managers, and independent filmmakers.
Key Reforms Announced by Mayor Bass
- Dedicated City Leadership: Board of Public Works President Steve Kang now serves as the Mayor’s Liaison to the Film and Television Industry. Alongside Dan Halden, he provides “concierge-style” service to help productions solve problems quickly.
- Faster Signage: The Department of Transportation (LADOT) has extended its staff hours. This ensures that on-street signs are posted and changed on time for local shoots, which also speeds up application processing.
- Streamlined Street Closures: A new FilmLA proposal allows LADOT to pre-approve certain lane and street closures in Downtown Los Angeles. This lets FilmLA “green light” these requests faster based on City guidelines.
- Lower Personnel Costs: The LAPD has identified locations and situations where the need for police officers can be reduced or waived. This helps lower staffing costs for productions. You can find current Motion Picture Officer requirements in the FilmLA Knowledge Base.
- New Fee Structures: This year, the City and FilmLA will operate a pilot program exploring a new “low-impact” permit option, advancing the City’s interest in a “tiered” pricing structure. This program is designed to make permits more affordable for low-impact productions.
Much to the encouragement of FilmLA and other advocates, additional reforms are on the way. Mayor Bass also recognized LA City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian and his Keep Hollywood Home Initiative. A further suite of reform Motions are moving through the City Council and its committees.
What might this mean for the future? To start, the City will look for ways to further reduce staffing costs while keeping the public safe. Neighborhood-specific Special Conditions for Filming will be reviewed, reaffirmed, or retired through a City-led process balancing location access and quality of life. The City also plans to discourage the practice of unfair “inconvenience payment” demands, which disproportionately impact independent productions with smaller budgets.
“The motions I’ve already introduced are just the beginning,” said Councilmember Nazarian. “We developed these proposals through a year of meeting with everyone from studio executives and producers to hundreds of rank-and-file production workers. They’re designed to save the jobs that thousands of L.A. families depend on. These changes won’t just benefit the big studios, they’ll help the small scale productions and the independent filmmakers who provide the innovation and creativity that make Los Angeles the creative capital of the world.”
“As these proposals move forward, FilmLA will be there to offer counsel, support, and service innovations to streamline the permitting process,” added FilmLA CEO Denise Gutches. “We will also continue our work with other cities and the County of Los Angeles to standardize filming rules across the region. By following the Model Film Ordinance and Best Practices, we can make filming work better for filmmakers and everyone who calls Los Angeles home.”
