Have you seen a FilmL.A. Monitor in your neighborhood? FilmL.A. Monitors are assigned to on-location film productions to complement location managers by serving as “ambassadors” and a point of contact for residents and business owners who may have concerns or questions about the filming process.
During a typical day a monitor will interact with the public and production company to resolve issues such as parking of production vehicles, noise concerns about generators, production equipment blocking driveway access, and making sure the area is left as clean or in better condition than when crews arrived.
A monitor will usually arrive at a location up to an hour before the permitted start time to note cast/crew arrival times and will remain on-set during filming-related activities to make sure production company personnel depart the location by the permitted time.
A monitor will also assist production companies by facilitating communication with the FilmL.A. Coordinator to add any last-minute changes or extensions to the permit. He/she will monitor permit compliance by reminding production companies of their professional obligations and appealing to their good judgment.
On a recent film production shot in the Chung King Plaza in Chinatown, FilmL.A. Monitor Bosco Flanagan (pictured center) was assigned to the location. Alex Cheung, an antique store owner in the Plaza, raved, “Bosco fixed our problem. A production company blocked public access to a stairway with their lights. Bosco got them to put the lights on a post so we could get upstairs. I was happy and the production company got the shot they needed.”