Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has issued an executive directive which she says will support local film and television productions during a time of unprecedented uncertainty in the industry.
Bass issued the directive Tuesday, calling for a streamlined process for studios and independent filmmakers to access the city’s most recognizable locations for their productions.
City-owned properties including, Griffith Observatory, the L.A. Central Library and the Port of Los Angeles, are among the properties Bass says will be affected by the order.
The directive specifically states that city departments make these locations more accessible and affordable for filmmakers by creating guidelines for onsite filming, cutting the cost of city fees associated with filming there, and reducing the amount of time it takes for permitting to be reviewed.
The directive also significantly reduces the number of City of L.A. employees required to be on set during filming at city property to only one, as allowed by local laws.
“Current practices often require numerous staff to be onsite for a film shoot,” Bass’s Office said.
Bass has also called for a “proactive, film-friendly” communication strategy between city officials and productions, including better informing the industry about upcoming infrastructure projects that could affect filming schedules.
“The City is taking bold action to support our legacy industry,” Bass said. “Keeping entertainment production in L.A. means keeping good-paying jobs in L.A., and that’s what we are fighting for.”
Bass and L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian have called for more incentives and fewer roadblocks to producing media in L.A., which for decades has been the entertainment capital of the world but has felt its grip on the industry slipping.
“We need to cut the red tape and roll out the red carpet for our film crews,” said Nazarian, who has submitted a motion to the council aiming to streamline the filmmaking process. “That means lower fees, an end to price gouging, and expedited approval for film permits. Film and TV production aren’t just essential to our economy, they’re essential to our identity as a city.”
Local leaders are also calling on the California legislature to support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to make significant investments to the state’s film tax credit in an effort to make the Golden State more competitive with states and countries that have siphoned off productions by offering more competitive incentives.
The state’s film tax credit has generated tens of billions of dollars in investments and created nearly 200,000 jobs, Bass’s Office said. Expanding the program even further, officials say, could revitalize and revolutionize the industry in California.
Bass said the city has taken other steps to encourage productions stay local, including establishing a new advisory council made of entertainment industry experts, requiring all city departments have a designated liaison for productions, and creating a new studio and soundstage concierge service that advises the city on how to cut red tape and better assist the film industry.
“I am taking action alongside Councilmember Adrin Nazarian to make sure L.A. is always the best place for film and TV production while we continue to champion making California’s production tax credit more powerful,” Bass said. “Hard working people across Los Angeles are counting on us.”
The full executive directive from Mayor Bass can be found below:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE NO. 11
Issue Date: May 20, 2025
Subject: Reel Change: Supporting Local Film and Television Production
The Entertainment Industry is core to Los Angeles’ economy and our City’s identity. The City, in partnership with the industry, has taken steps to stabilize and rebuild Los Angeles’ Film and Entertainment Industry, which has long been a cornerstone of our local economy. However, Los Angeles has faced increased competition from other states and countries. Combined with the overall decline in production, it has become particularly challenging for the local Film and Television sector. I remain committed to increasing production in Los Angeles, and we will continue to build upon our efforts in renewing the City’s support for the Entertainment Industry with the urgency and commitment it requires.
In August 2024, I signed Executive Directive 8, to focus on the industry workforce, streamline City processes for production and strategize on policy to keep production and jobs local. Since then, my office has brought together industry stakeholders with our City departments to create a transparent and customer service-oriented culture towards the industry. I also joined Governor Gavin Newsom to unveil a historic expansion of California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program to $750 million; a program I originally created when I served as Speaker of California’s State Assembly.
I am proud of our efforts to support the Entertainment Industry, but there is much more work ahead to remain the premier location for productions. That is why I reaffirmed our support for the industry during my recent State of the City Address. Today, I am issuing Executive Directive 11, which announces a range of procedural changes that will set the stage for lasting prosperity and resilience for the industry.
It is clear that it has become too difficult and cost-prohibitive to film in the city and on City properties. As such, I instruct the relevant City departments, as specified below and where applicable, as listed in Executive Directive 8, to implement and report back to my office, within 30 calendar days, the following operational and procedural changes. The departments shall focus on streamlining or minimizing procedures to avoid requiring additional staff.
Changes to Streamline City Processes
- On-site Monitors and Staff: All departments shall review current procedures that assign on-site monitors or staff, and develop a process whereby no more than one total City staff member is required to be on-site at a filming location. This applies to the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Police Department (including contracted retired police officers), the Fire Department, the Department of Transportation, the General Services Department, and any other City department that currently requires staff to be on-site. If City law requires more than one staff member to be on a particular site, a justification shall be provided in connection with the operational and procedural changes. Staffing should be accomplished in collaboration with FilmLA to ensure that there is no unnecessary duplication of resources and efforts.
- I further instruct all departments to recommend how current fees associated with on-site staff or inspections can be lowered and/or clarified when they are not required. The departments shall consult with the appropriate parties, including FilmLA, to determine what should, and should not, be charged to productions moving forward. This shall include a review and recommendation for potential discounts on film-related fees for low-budget productions, companies filming for the first time in the City, and student filmmakers (including permits, on-site staff, inspections, and any existing location-related fees).
- Department of Recreation and Parks: For each scheduled filming, the department shall ensure there is a consistent point of contact during the department’s operational hours to answer inquiries. That point of contact should be knowledgeable about the scheduled filming. If a point of contact is off duty (i.e., the designated contact is part-time), the department should ensure that an alternative contact is both available and knowledgeable to provide the same services.
- Department of Transportation On-Street Signage Posting: I instruct the Department of Transportation to ensure that there is staff coverage for on-street signage posting that encompass all of the department’s regular business hours (i.e., 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM) to ensure that a department representative is accessible throughout the business day.
- Coordination with LA County: My office shall work with FilmLA and the County to determine where, if any, intergovernmental processes and fee structures can be streamlined for filming permits that involve both county and city jurisdictions.
Opportunities for City-Owned Properties
- Griffith Observatory: The Department of Recreation and Parks shall provide the necessary steps required to reduce its filming-related fees at the Griffith Observatory to their original rates prior to the 2022 fee increase. Filming should be allowed during the days and hours the facility is closed to the public and not otherwise in use when the Griffith Observatory is regularly open to the public. I further instruct the department to recommend a reasonable maximum number of days per year that the Griffith Observatory could be used for filming, differentiating between productions that require full closure and those that require only partial closure.
- Central Public Library: The Library Department shall institute proper procedures and safeguards that would enable interior filming at the Central Public Library once again.
- Department of Water and Power: I request that the Department of Water and Power institute proper procedures and safeguards to enable filming at department facilities, without impeding public safety or operations, or conflicting with any state or federal regulatory requirements. I further request a report be provided to my office with a list of locations and outline the steps being taken to allow filming.
- Port of Los Angeles: I request that the Port of Los Angeles institute a policy to reduce the department’s insurance review requirement for filming from 7 business days to 4 business days.
- All departments shall evaluate existing City assets to determine whether they can be utilized for filming-related purposes (including filming locations, parking, and other ancillary uses). I further direct all departments to recommend procedures that would enable night-time scouting on City-owned properties, while also minimizing any associated staffing impacts and costs.
Ongoing Communication
- I instruct the following departments to meet with my office and stakeholders on a monthly basis to resolve any ongoing issues that productions are facing. FilmLA shall be included in these meetings. The Quarterly Task Force (with all City departments) will still meet on a quarterly basis and will take place of the monthly meeting for that particular month, unless deemed otherwise.
- Police Department
- Fire Department
- Department of Recreation and Parks
- Department of Transportation
- I instruct the following departments to submit to my office, and FilmLA, on a monthly basis, any public infrastructure projects (current and planning stages) that could impact highly utilized filming locations, including closures for temporary events and availability of City-owned assets for filming-related purposes. This applies to the following departments:
- Los Angeles Department of Transportation
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
- Public Works Bureau of Contract Administration
- Public Works Bureau of Engineering
- Public Works Bureau of Sanitation
- Public Works Bureau of Street Lighting
- Public Works Bureau of Street Services
Executed this 20th day of May 2025
KAREN BASS
Mayor