FilmLA’s investment in proactive community relations takes many forms. Our robust Notification and Monitoring programs aim at keeping communities informed and supported before and during production. Since 2013, we’ve also maintained a dedicated team of outreach liaisons, who work in collaborative fashion to share expert knowledge and build positive connections across all constituencies served by our organization.
We caught up with outreach liaisons Adrian Fayad and Karla Maqueda to learn about their backgrounds and perspectives on filming in Greater Los Angeles.
Adrian Fayad, the outreach team’s newest member, has a 21-year record of service to FilmLA. Before joining the Integrated Communications Department in April, Fayad served as a permit operations lead, where he played a pivotal role in training new coordinators and transitioning the Schools Department into the Permit Operations Department. During his decade of service as a production coordinator, Fayad worked on television shows like Lethal Weapon, West World and Teen Wolf, and feature films including Nope. Fayad’s FilmLA career started in the field, where as a field services representative, he gained first-hand experience informing communities of upcoming filming.
Asked about how he views his new role, Fayad replied, “I am thrilled to take on the role of outreach liaison at FilmLA, where I can apply my expertise in permit operations. My goal is to ensure that we not only sustain the communities that host filming, but also maintain the essential support that productions require to keep film crews working throughout Los Angeles.”
Karla Maqueda joined FilmLA’s Integrated Communications Department in the summer of 2022. Since then, she has been a liaison to popularly filmed communities in the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas. Prior to her arrival at FilmLA, Maqueda served as a Field Deputy in the City of Los Angeles’ Sixth Council District, where she helped oversee local delivery of city services during the COVID-19 pandemic and worked closely with community groups.
Asked about keeping neighborhoods film friendly, Maqueda offered, "I enjoy learning what makes a neighborhood unique and making creative recommendations to mitigate impacts to the neighborhood hosting filming, while meeting the needs of production.”
FilmLA’s Solution Services Team became a part of its Integrated Communications Department in 2023, as part of a merger designed to sharpen FilmLA’s focus on high-touch, information rich customer service. Our outreach liaisons became a part of the Solution Services Team at that time.
FilmLA’s manager of Solution Services, Tim Overbeck, said that there was much to look forward to in the coming year.
"It is important that we work together in our communities to ensure that production continues to thrive in Los Angeles."