*As Hollywood continues to face declining production activity and job losses, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to explore ways to make filming in the city more affordable and efficient.
As NBC Los Angeles reports, the approved motion, introduced by Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, directs multiple city departments to deliver recommendations within 30 days on reducing city-imposed costs, simplifying permits, and revisiting requirements for filming on public property.
“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,” said Nazarian, emphasizing its role in protecting middle-class industry workers.
The move comes as FilmLA reports a 22.4% drop in on-location shoot days in Q1 2025, one of the worst declines in recent memory. Industry advocates, including members of the Directors Guild of America and IATSE Local 728, voiced strong support for the proposal. “Any headwinds for production is causing production to leave Los Angeles,” said IATSE’s Martin Weeks.
Permit fees in L.A. rose in mid-2024, with base application costs climbing from $895 to $931, and administrative charges on drones, explosions, and lane closures also seeing increases. Still, FilmLA spokesperson Philip Sokoloski noted that the city’s fees remain lower than the regional average and help fund both FilmLA and government services.
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In parallel, lawmakers are pushing for more aggressive state-level support. Senate Bill 630 and Assembly Bill 1138 seek to expand eligibility for California’s film and TV tax credits. Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed raising the state’s film incentive budget to $750 million annually.
At a recent “Stay in L.A.” town hall, organizers warned that inaction could turn California’s entertainment sector into “the next Detroit auto industry.” With post-production and music scoring jobs also disappearing to lower-cost international markets, the urgency to reinvigorate local production has never been higher.
MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: L.A. Insiders Warn Hollywood May Turn into the ‘Next Detroit’
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