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e-Notification
Brings Filming
Notices to Your
Inbox!
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Did you know that you may be able to receive advance notice of filming in your area by e-mail?
In late 2006, FilmL.A. launched a pilot program offering this service to residents in the Downtown Arts District.
Since then, we've expanded the program to serve other areas in Los Angeles, including:
All Areas in Downtown Los Angeles
San Pedro Business District
Sunset Junction
Westwood Village Business District
If you live or work in one of these areas, why not take advantage of this free and convenient service?
Visit our website today and register for your account.
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FilmL.A., Inc.
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Founded in 1995, FilmL.A., Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides a crucial link between media producers, local residents and various government entities to sustain the Los Angeles region's status as a global leader in entertainment production.
FilmL.A. coordinates and releases all permits for filmed entertainment shot on-location within its clients' jurisdictions.
FilmL.A. currently holds contracts with the City of Los Angeles, unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, and the cities of Diamond Bar, Lancaster, South Gate and the City of Industry. Nonmunicipal clients include the Angeles National Forest, the Los Angeles Unified School District and Burbank Unified School District.
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| Notifying Everyone We Serve |
New Film Permitting System Launched
On March 1, FilmL.A. proceeded with the internal launch of OPS, a custom-built film permitting system. More than two years in development, OPS was engineered to replace an aging, no-longer-supported database inherited in 1995 from the City of Los Angeles. FilmL.A.'s considerable investment in OPS reflects our commitment to streamlining the film permitting process for the jurisdictions and production-industry customers we serve.
OPS is currently accessible only to FilmL.A. employees and municipal permit approvers. In the near future, we will make elements of the OPS system "outward-facing" to allow it to be accessed by our customers. Some of the features that will then be available include online viewing and approval of draft permits and real-time permit status updates.
For the latest information on OPS and other exciting developments at FilmL.A., be sure to join our mailing list and sign up to receive our Production Alerts.
(Photo: Partial screenshot of OPS system user dashboard) |
Avoid the Freeway, Claim Permits the Free Way
 Are film permit pick-ups draining your tank or wallet? FilmL.A. has a way to top off your day.
Email delivery of finalized film permits is now available for "Permits on Account" (POA) credit customers. In addition to enjoying convenient, deferred payment terms, POA members will no longer have to drive to FilmL.A. to pick up permits or pay to have them delivered. The result is immediate savings in time, money and fuel.
Admission to the POA program is based on a uniform set of credit criteria, and applying for an account is easy. To apply for credit with FilmL.A., please complete and return an Application Form and Authorization to Verify Credit.
We look forward to reviewing your application and saving you some pain at the pump.
(Photo: FilmL.A. now offers free email permit delivery) |
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FilmL.A. Celebrates the Bridges of the Los Angeles River
FilmL.A. has joined the Los Angeles Conservancy, Friends of the Los Angeles River and the Getty Conservation Institute to celebrate a unique collection of historic structures and a hot topic of study and debate. FilmL.A. is a co-sponsor of "Spanning History: The Bridges of the Los Angeles River", which will include an April 10 panel discussion regarding the status of, and plans for, the bridges and an April 13 "field day" exploring these remarkable, yet vulnerable, landmarks. Built between 1910 and 1940, fifteen bridges span the Los Angeles River between Boyle Heights and Toluca Lake. Monumental in design and massive in scale, the bridges range from 1,000 to over 3,000 feet in length. Together, the bridges tell an important part of the story of how Los Angeles came of age as a major modern city. On January 30, 2008, the City Council declared eleven of the bridges as Historic-Cultural Monuments, ensuring a role for the City's Cultural Heritage Commission in reviewing proposed widening and replacement projects.
FilmL.A. applauds efforts to preserve the character of these bridges for generations of film, television, and commercial producers to come. We regularly coordinate requests to film on or around these iconic landmarks. Many of these bridges are movie stars in their own right, having made countless film appearances, from the 1954 sci-fi classic Them! to 2007's Transformers.
(Photo: Filming of a scene from Transformers (2007). Credit: Ilt Jones) |
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Back by Popular Demand: FilmL.A. Location Managers Reception
In April, FilmL.A. will host the second annual location managers reception at our office in downtown Los Angeles. This informal annual event brings together FilmL.A. staff and film industry customers to swap production stories in a relaxed after-hours setting.
"In an industry dominated by phone calls, emails, and faxes, these events provide much needed 'face-time' for FilmL.A. staff and location managers," remarked FilmL.A. Director of Community Relations Geoffrey Smith.
The reception is only one way that FilmL.A. is reaching out to location managers to better understand their needs and concerns. FilmL.A. also recently revived a Location Managers Advisory Group to seek additional location manager input and guidance.
"Location managers are our customers and partners, and we need to work together to help keep productions running smoothly," added Smith.
(Photo: Scan of FilmL.A. Location Managers Reception invitation) |
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Pace of Production Still Slow for Scripted Television
 A month after the end of the 100-day strike by Hollywood writers, the television production industry continues to struggle to bring crews back to work.
FilmL.A. has compiled data showing post-strike permitted production tracking well below 2007 levels for the same period. In the last month, sitcom producers filmed 97 percent fewer days on-location than they did the previous year, a loss of 31 days of production. Drama production trailed by 9 percent with a 12-day loss, while television pilots filmed 56 fewer days for an 86 percent loss.
"Even though the strike ended in February, we're still feeling its impact well into pilot season," noted FilmL.A. President Steve MacDonald. "Finalizing scripts, pulling permits, and getting crews back to work on-location just takes time."
With most shows hoping to salvage four to eight of their approximately one dozen originally-scheduled episodes this spring, strike-related production spending losses continue to accrue.
(Chart: Post-strike television production losses, mid-February through mid-March, in permitted production days) |
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FilmL.A. Monitors: At Your Service
Have you seen a FilmL.A. Monitor in your neighborhood? FilmL.A. Monitors are assigned to on-location film productions to complement location managers by serving as "ambassadors" and a point of contact for residents and business owners who may have concerns or questions about the filming process.
During a typical day a monitor will interact with the public and production company to resolve issues such as parking of production vehicles, noise concerns about generators, production equipment blocking driveway access, and making sure the area is left as clean or in better condition than when crews arrived.
A monitor will usually arrive at a location up to an hour before the permitted start time to note cast/crew arrival times and will remain on-set during filming-related activities to make sure production company personnel depart the location by the permitted time.
A monitor will also assist production companies by facilitating communication with the FilmL.A. Coordinator to add any last-minute changes or extensions to the permit. He/she will monitor permit compliance by reminding production companies of their professional obligations and appealing to their good judgment.
On a recent film production shot in the Chung King Plaza in Chinatown, FilmL.A. Monitor Bosco Flanagan (pictured center) was assigned to the location. Alex Cheung, an antique store owner in the Plaza, raved, "Bosco fixed our problem. A production company blocked public access to a stairway with their lights. Bosco got them to put the lights on a post so we could get upstairs. I was happy and the production company got the shot they needed."
(Photo: FilmL.A. Monitor Bosco Flanagan assists Chung King Plaza merchants Alex Cheung and Mason Fong) | |
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