Movies

‘We’ve taken the industry for granted’: Mayor Bass pledges to make it easier to film in L.A.

BBG News

In the heart of Hollywood, Mayor Karen Bass, joined by various figures from the film industry, declared her commitment on Tuesday at SAG-AFTRA’s LA headquarters, to simplify the process for filming in Los Angeles.

The mayor issued an executive order aimed at boosting local film and television employment opportunities. This decision is expected to reduce costs, simplify city procedures for on-site filming, and provide easier access to iconic L.A. spots like the Griffith Observatory, Central Library, and the Port of Los Angeles. The announcement was met with applause by representatives from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, along with other union leaders.

For more than a century now, starting with D.W. Griffith’s first film shoot in Hollywood – which was once just a small village – Los Angeles has grown to become the world’s foremost city for movie making.

Nevertheless, although the city is globally associated with cinematic enchantment, it has been losing film production positions to other regions and nations that provide substantial tax breaks, lower wages, and less bureaucratically restrictive environments.

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Despite being renowned worldwide for its movie magic, the city has seen a significant decrease in film jobs due to states and countries offering attractive tax incentives, affordable labor, and lenient regulatory bodies for production.

Currently, our local film and television industry is facing a critical juncture due to a widespread slowdown in production on a larger scale.

As a movie enthusiast, I often ponder over whether Los Angeles will continue to offer opportunities for middle-class, behind-the-scenes entertainment workers to thrive financially, or if it has irrevocably lost its footing in this regard. Will new productions still be viable there? These are questions that weigh heavily on my mind.

The adjustments made by the mayor, while not overly dramatic, have sparked optimism among industry experts that they could alleviate some challenges for productions and streamline logistical complications.

Bass stated, “We’ve been complacent about the industry, considering it as an integral aspect of who we are. Sometimes, when something feels like a natural part of us, we assume it will always remain.

1. A woman, who comes from a family that has been in the movie business for three consecutive generations, urged the state Legislature to pass legislation enhancing film and TV production tax credits, making the state more attractive for productions. Governor Gavin Newsom followed through on his promise last week by increasing California’s film tax credit to $750 million next year, as stated in his revised budget plan.

2. A family member with three generations in the movie industry called on the state Legislature to pass legislation boosting film and TV production tax credits, so the state could compete more effectively. Gov. Gavin Newsom honored his commitment last week by raising California’s film tax credit to $750 million for next year, as outlined in his revised budget plan.

3. A third-generation movie industry member advocated that the state Legislature pass laws to boost film and TV production tax credits, making it more enticing for productions. In his recent budget proposal, Governor Gavin Newsom increased California’s film tax credit to $750 million next year, as promised.

4. A family member involved in the movie industry for three generations urged the state Legislature to pass legislation raising film and TV production tax credits, making it more appealing for productions. Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom followed through on his commitment by doubling California’s film tax credit to $750 million next year, as stated in his revised budget plan.

5. A woman with roots in a movie-making family spanning three generations encouraged the state Legislature to pass legislation increasing film and TV production tax credits, making it more competitive. In line with his promise, Governor Gavin Newsom boosted California’s film tax credit to $750 million next year, as detailed in his revised budget proposal last week.

Hollywood Inc.

Workers across all tiers in Hollywood are joining forces to advocate for a legislative shift in the state’s tax incentive plan. However, given the tight fiscal situation, securing approval for this change is by no means certain.

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a tough stretch for Los Angeles’ iconic industry, with one challenge piling on another. The COVID-19 pandemic forced closures and significant reductions in production, followed by two labor strikes in Hollywood back in 2023. The aftermath has been prolonged stagnation that’s yet to show signs of recovery.

In January 2025, the fires served as another hardship. Approximately 30 movie and TV productions were temporarily halted following the Palisades and Eaton blazes, as per industry calculations.

During the initial three months of the current year, there was almost a 25% drop in filming on location within the Greater Los Angeles region when compared to the corresponding timeframe from the previous year.

The impact of the pain has spread well past the movie set boundaries, causing restaurants throughout the city to struggle with staying afloat. Consequently, a steady flow of Hollywood employees have chosen to depart from the city.

According to Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who represents the eastern part of San Fernando Valley, reduced movie production is having a larger impact on the local economy, with far-reaching effects. Previously, he had proposed a City Council plan to simplify the city’s film permit process.

Many individuals who are affected by this situation reside within the district. Consequently, it’s their homes that are mortgaged. When mortgages go unpaid, people risk losing their homes. Furthermore, if people aren’t spending extra money at restaurants or on daily expenses like raising their children and families, the sales tax revenue that usually comes to the city is not generated. This was stated by Nazarian.

The industry’s challenges go far beyond productions not being adequately supported in Los Angeles.

Hollywood Inc.

For Subscribers

Even before the L.A. fires, Hollywood jobs were hard to find. Will the work ever come back?

In the wake of significant technological, financial, and international transformations in the film industry, it’s clear that California’s fundamental entertainment sector and its employees are confronting a challenging truth: The positions that have been eliminated might not return.

In the period after peak television, the movie and television industry has temporarily shrunk noticeably.

The intense competition among streaming platforms, where numerous subscriptions services flooded money and an abundance of content in an attempt to erode Netflix’s leading position, appears to be over now.

Production companies are approving less television content and reducing workforce, while the availability of attractive tax breaks in other regions has significantly increased the financial challenges for Los Angeles-based productions.

Regardless of how simple the mayor makes it for film productions to capture L.A.’s famous streets, job opportunities won’t necessarily appear magically.

According to Lindsay Dougherty, head of Teamsters Local 399 (which represents over 6,000 movie Teamsters in Hollywood, including drivers and location managers), Bass’ instruction will assist the current productions that are already being made.

In his statement, Dougherty emphasized that each of these factors plays a crucial role, particularly mentioning the requirement for increased funding for the state tax credit program and potential federal laws. He explained that when a production company is making budget decisions, considerations like these are an integral part of the process.

The mayor’s executive order contains several elements designed to decrease production expenses, such as minimizing the number of city employees needed on a film set to just one person.

City Director, Bass, has instructed each department to reevaluate and suggest ways to reduce costs related to on-site personnel or inspections’ associated fees.

The directive additionally seeks to facilitate shooting at several prestigious city-managed properties by reducing fees for filming. Specifically, the Griffith Observatory’s filming costs are set to decrease, a move advocates claim is necessary due to its escalating cost as a film location. However, filming will only be allowed during times when the observatory is not open to the general public.

Additionally, Bass vowed to untangle the prolonged review process for insurance that’s been delaying film production at the Port of Los Angeles. Furthermore, she promised to resume filming in downtown’s Central Library.

For quite some time now, as a passionate film enthusiast, I’ve been voicing my concerns about the film industry to the mayor’s office. Over the past couple of years, there have been moments when I felt exasperated, as some of us believed that the mayor hadn’t shown enough initiative in fostering film production.

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2025-05-21 02:01

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