The Los Angeles City Council decided Tuesday to look into measures to make filmmaking in the city more economical and effective, as Hollywood continues to experience a decline in production activity and job losses.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Councilmember Adrin Nazarian’s passed resolution requires many municipal departments to submit recommendations within 30 days on how to lower city-imposed fees, streamline permits, and review the rules for filming on public property.
Nazarian emphasized the motion’s significance in safeguarding middle-class industrial jobs by saying, “This motion is focused on revitalizing local filming production, streamlining the city’s permitting process, and making it more efficient and less bogged down by bureaucracy.”
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The action is in response to one of the greatest dips in recent memory, according to FilmLA, which reports a 22.4% drop in on-location shoot days in Q1 2025. Strong support for the plan was expressed by industry representatives, such as IATSE Local 728 and Directors Guild of America members. Martin Weeks of IATSE stated, “Any production headwinds are causing production to leave Los Angeles.”
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The base application fee for a permit in Los Angeles increased from $895 to $931 in the middle of 2024, and administrative expenses for lane closures, drones, and explosions also went up. The city’s costs, however, continue to be less than the regional average and support government and FilmLA programs, according to Philip Sokoloski, a spokesman for FilmLA.
Legislators are also advocating for more forceful state-level assistance. Assembly Bill 1138 and Senate Bill 630 aim to increase the number of people who can get California’s TV and movie tax credits. The funding for the state’s film incentives has been suggested to be increased to $750 million per year by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Organizers of the recent “Stay in L.A.” town hall cautioned that failure to take action might make California’s entertainment business “the next Detroit auto industry.” There has never been a greater need to revitalize domestic production than now, as post-production and music scoring positions are also leaving for cheaper overseas markets.
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