The Los Angeles City Council’s Economic Development and Jobs Committee last week unanimously advanced a package of nine motions aimed at streamlining the city’s film-permitting process — but not before amending several provisions and converting some proposals into study directives. Five of the nine motions passed without amendment, while four were modified in committee.
The measures, introduced in December by Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, now head to the full Council, potentially as early as March. Nazarian’s office has described the package as “Phase 1” of a broader effort to address declining local production, with a second set of motions already introduced that would focus on incentives and industry infrastructure.
The committee vote on Feb. 17 followed more than an hour of public testimony from film and television workers, with supporters filling the hearing room and waiting outside City Hall after it reached capacity.
Many speakers described the financial strain of a prolonged production slowdown.
“I can no longer live off my career in LA. I work multiple jobs and struggle to pay for rent, food and healthcare bills,” Miranda Cristofani, a production designer and a single mother, told the committee.
Others said they have taken second jobs or left the city entirely as production has shifted to other states and countries offering more generous tax incentives and streamlined permitting.
Mike Lars White, an independent film director who recently directed his first feature film, said one of the most common pieces of advice aspiring film directors hear is: “Don’t shoot in LA, because it’s not the most friendly place to film.”
White said his team ultimately chose to film locally because the story was deeply rooted in Los Angeles. Even so, he warned that the city risks losing its talent base.
“I moved to LA 10 years ago because of the incredible pool of talent that’s here,” he said. “And that pool of talent is leaving, and is going to leave LA. I may have to, too, if it’s going to be this unfriendly to filmmaking.”
Supporters say the proposals are intended to reduce duplicative police and fire requirements on film shoots, lower certain location and parking fees for city-owned facilities, create a free “microshoot” permit for small productions and better coordinate permitting rules across Los Angeles and neighboring jurisdictions. One motion also calls for the City Controller to audit the city’s film-permitting ecosystem, including FilmLA, the nonprofit that administers permits under contract with the city.
Several provisions were amended in the committee.
Language that would have immediately rescinded long-standing neighborhood “special conditions” — which can include additional notification requirements and mandated community surveys for filming in certain areas — was removed. The motion still directs city departments to report back on a unified citywide framework for filming rules, with the Board of Public Works now designated to lead that effort.
Committee members also amended a proposal to require departments to study and report back on the fiscal and operational impacts of reducing fees to $1 per day for certain city-owned parking lots and staging areas, rather than implementing the policy immediately. The report will include a list of eligible properties, current revenue generated from film use and projected net losses under the proposed fee structure.
A provision directing the Los Angeles Police Department to establish a new civilian Film Safety Officer classification for certain non-enforcement duties was struck from the motion. Committee members also amended language concerning Motion Picture Officer staffing minimums, requiring a report back before any changes to deployment standards are implemented.
Industry representatives expressed broad support for reform while cautioning that implementation details would matter.
Tisha Jefferson-Tell, a business agent and assistant political coordinator for Teamsters Local 399, which represents location managers and other film-industry workers, said the union supports modernizing the city’s filming rules but urged caution about eliminating long-standing neighborhood “special conditions” without further review.
“We do have concerns that some of them have gotten a little bit egregious,” she said during the committee meeting, “but then we do understand that some are, quite frankly, maybe necessary for locations that have lots of frequency.”
In a phone interview Monday, Jefferson-Tell said the union’s concern centers on rescinding conditions outright.
“Getting rid of them without further review, that’s where it raised a little concern for us,” she said. “We just wanted to make sure that everyone feels secure as this moves forward.”
Arlen Valdivia, vice president of state and local government affairs at Motion Picture Association, said the organization supports “the intent of the motions” but noted the need for sufficient city staffing and resources to sustain filming long term.
In a statement Monday, FilmLA CEO Denise Gutches said the motions reflect “an unprecedented level of interest” in rethinking how the city approaches on-location filming.
“We look forward to working closely with our city council partners to make on-location filming as affordable, accessible, and straightforward as possible,” Gutches said.
Gutches added that FilmLA has already begun working with city and county officials last year on reviewing special conditions and developing programs for low-impact productions, and will continue advising as the proposals move through the legislative process.
Nazarian called the committee vote an “inflection point” for the city’s signature industry, arguing that Los Angeles can no longer rely on its legacy as the entertainment capital of the world.
“These are not radical steps,” Nazarian said before the vote. “They are the bare minimum of modernization necessary to remain competitive.”
While the first phase focuses largely on location-shooting rules and permitting procedures, Nazarian has already introduced six additional motions as part of a second phase. Those proposals would explore measures such as a public-private seed fund for low budget productions, local vendor incentive programs and expanded accountability requirements for city film contracts.
Cale Thomas, a special makeup effects artist and member of the advocacy group Stay in LA, said industry workers are hopeful the reforms will continue.
“We just want to thank all those people that helped us along the way,” he said. “We look forward to partnering with our community to bring production back to Los Angeles.”
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