The Los Angeles City Council approved two measures on Tuesday aimed at supporting the local film industry amid a decline in production activity in California. The measures include creating free permits for small-scale productions, known as micro-shoots, and capping parking fees on city-owned properties used for filming at $1 per day, regardless of the project’s size.
Currently, the city charges $450 daily for base camp parking at city parks and between $100 and $300 per day for crew parking, according to data from FilmLA, the nonprofit organization that manages film permits for the region. The new ordinances are intended to reduce costs for independent filmmakers and smaller productions.
Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who introduced the measures, said the initiatives are designed to encourage independent shoots and attract emerging storytellers to Los Angeles. “As we work to protect established productions, we must also uphold Los Angeles’ reputation as a hub for the next generation of filmmakers,” Nazarian said. “People need to believe that this is still the town to turn their filmmaking dreams into reality.”
The micro-shoot permit applies to productions with no more than 10 people on site and minimal impact on surrounding communities. The designation is expected to benefit student filmmakers, documentary crews, and ultra-low-budget projects by allowing them to secure permits at no cost. City departments will report to the council in the coming weeks on plans for implementing the new permitting process.
These actions come amid ongoing challenges for the region’s film and television production industry. FilmLA recently reported that the number of shoot days between July and September this year decreased by 4.8% compared to the same period last year and is nearly 29% below the five-year average.
Nazarian, who chairs the council’s newly formed Ad Hoc Committee on Film, Entertainment and the Creative Industry, emphasized the urgency of the situation during a recent council meeting. “The stark reality is that California is on the brink of losing its position as the nation’s premier destination for production spending,” he said. “While we retain the Hollywood name, the data makes it urgently clear, crisis-level clear, that Los Angeles is fast losing its footing as the center of film and television production.”
The modest fee adjustments and permit changes represent part of the city’s broader effort to maintain and increase film production activity within Los Angeles amid growing competition from other states and countries offering competitive incentives.