Last month, FilmLA participated in a Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce workshop and panel discussion, intended to provide local business owners with information about how to responsibly host on-location filming. The “Prepare Your Business for Filming” workshop highlighted best practices for businesses to follow when location scouts come calling.
“This is a great opportunity for producers to identify new locations for filming while advancing FilmLA’s efforts to support film-friendly communities in Los Angeles,” said David Phelps, President & CEO of the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Phelps is a long-time member of FilmLA’s Board of Directors.
Workshop topics included the benefits of hosting film activity at your business location, knowing the best locations for parking and base camps, maintaining customer access to businesses during filming, cultivating positive community relationships and most importantly, navigating neighborhood concerns.
Attendees included Ed Duffy, Business Agent for the Teamsters Local 399, Location Managers Chris Campbell, (Station 19, Cruel Intentions), Greg Alpert (Big Little Lies, Sandy Wexler), Michael Burmeister (Suburbicon, Need for Speed), and Tim Hillman (Ride Along, CSI:NY). Business representatives present included Christy Vega, Owner of Casa Vega, Juliet Plante, Marketing Director of Public School 818, Camila Dizon, Owner of The Oaks Tavern, Karl Makinen, Owner of The Local Peasant, Aaron Robins, Chef/Owner of Boneyard Bistro, Murphy Michaels, Owner of The One Up (Host Location), and Phyllis Koenig, EP/Owner of Raucous Content, an independent production company. The City of Los Angeles was represented by Filming Liaison Eva Bitar, plus FilmLA’s Outreach & Education Manager Arturo Piña, Outreach Liaisons, Carri Stevens and Jason Gonet and Communications Coordinator, Danielle Matthews Walker.
The workshop began with a roundtable discussion between location professionals and local business owners, who asked a barrage of questions ranging from: “How does a production company select a location?” to “What can I expect during on-location filming?”
In his presentation, FilmLA’s Outreach & Education Manager, Arturo Piña provided an overview of the organization’s outreach and education program. “FilmLA uses events like this workshop to share strategies for keeping communities in the region open and receptive to filming,” Piña said. “By and large, LA loves film. We appreciate when businesses choose to open their doors to production companies.”
The program wrapped with a panel conversation between Phyllis Koenig, EP/Owner of Raucous Content and David Phelps with the Chamber. With over 20 years in the film and entertainment business, Phyllis was able to speak personally to what business owners can expect when serving as film hosts.
After the workshop, FilmLA caught up with David Phelps and a few business owners who have hosted filming at their businesses. Christy Vega of Casa Vega, and Juliet Plante, of Public School 818 shared how they make filming work at their business, balancing the needs of production, their patrons and their neighbors in the attached video.
For more information about the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce’s roster of events, visit www.shermanoakschamber.org/ .