LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass today issued a new executive directive to support local film and TV jobs by making it easier for studios and independent producers alike to shoot movies, television shows and commercials here in Los Angeles. Mayor Bass’ directive lowers costs and streamlines city processes for on-location filming and increases access to iconic city locations including the Central Library, Port of LA and Griffith Observatory to make the City more friendly and supportive of local filming.
Mayor Bass also renewed her call on the state legislature to pass Governor Newsom’s proposal to make historic investments in the state film tax credit to make California more competitive with the other states and countries that offer powerful financial incentives to attract productions. The Mayor has been consistent in her support for the entertainment industry – a cornerstone of the Los Angeles economy.
“The City is taking bold action to support our legacy industry,” said Mayor Bass. “Keeping entertainment production in L.A. means keeping good-paying jobs in L.A., and that’s what we are fighting for. 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. Hard working people across Los Angeles are counting on us.”
“I’m focused on making it easier to shoot in L.A.,” said Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, author of a current Council motion streamlining the film permitting process. “We need to cut the red tape and roll out the red carpet for our film crews. 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. For over a century, this industry has made Los Angeles a magnet for talent and a hotbed of innovation in culture and technology. If we want Los Angeles to remain the capital of the global entertainment industry, we need to Keep Hollywood Home.”
The enhanced executive directive orders City departments to cut regulations and streamline processes for the film and TV industry. Instructions include:
Requiring City departments to make iconic City locations more accessible and affordable for filming, such as the Griffith Observatory and the Central Library, by creating guidelines for onsite filming, cutting review timelines and calling for the lowering of certain City fees.
Lower costs and coordination time by reducing the number of City departmental staff who are assigned to monitor filming on set to one total City staff member, as City law allows. Current practices often require numerous staff to be onsite for a film shoot.
Instituting a proactive, film-friendly approach to communication between City departments and production, including the communication of upcoming infrastructure projects that could impact filming schedules.
Mayor Bass’ actions to support film and TV jobs in Los Angeles include:
Established an Entertainment Industry Council to draw on the expertise of industry leaders to act on reversing the departure of productions and to keep production local.
Issued Executive Directive 8 last year to take steps to support the industry locally, including by establishing monthly task force meetings with key departments and industry stakeholders and requiring all departments to have a designated liaison for film and TV production.
Created new studio and sound stage concierge services, which cut red tape and provide direct assistance with city departments. The program has helped 7 new studios and sound stages. In addition, about 8 million square feet of soundstage, media production, and associated creative office space are in the pipeline within the City.
Mayor Bass stood alongside Governor Newsom, other officials and entertainment industry and labor leaders in proposing a historic expansion of California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, which was originally created when Mayor Bass served as Speaker of the California State Assembly. The Program has generated tens of billions of dollars in investments while creating nearly 200,000 jobs.
Read the full executive directive here:
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
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KAREN BASS
Mayor