Ed Duffy is a FilmL.A. Board Member and Chair of our Operations Subcommittee. He has been a Location Manager for 28 years, working on such shows as Dynasty, Moonlighting, Melrose Place and The OC. Ed has been a Trustee with Teamsters Local 399 for the past seven years and for the past two years has served as the Business Agent for Location Managers. To get his views on the Los Angeles film production environment, FilmL.A. staff posed the following questions:
What do you think is the biggest challenge to film production in the Los Angeles region?
ED: Besides the lack of state or city film incentives to stop “runaway production”, the ever-present task of communicating our intentions to and reaching accord with neighborhood groups poses a great challenge for production companies wanting to film in many vital areas of the city.
How has the business changed for your members over the last decade?
ED: The complexities of the corporate world have become much more apparent. The artistic side of our business, in many areas, is affected by concern for the bottom line. Insurance, contracts, budgets, accounting, etc. require much more time (of which we have very little to spare) and effort for execution than ever before.
How is the board leveraging the respective experience of its members to advance FilmL.A.’s mission?
ED: The board’s members all have diversified and unique experience to share in the formulating of ideas for growth of FilmL.A. By melding these ideas together, FilmL.A. can get a good “cross section” of perspectives that help to ensure that the direction the company is taking is the correct one.
Which of the board’s accomplishments are you most proud of?
ED: I have only been a board member for a short time, but building and rolling out the external-facing component of the online permitting system (OPS) this fall will be a great accomplishment. Location Managers or companies will be able to enter the information for their permit online and follow the progress to the permit’s completion. There is no other system like it, and I believe it will be admired across the country.
What is your approach to fulfilling your role as chair of the operations subcommittee?
ED: I always try to do what I feel is best for the majority and at the same time take into account how each decision made is going to affect every individual. The goal is always to make FilmL.A. better, thereby keeping filming in L.A.