LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass pledged the City’s renewed support for L.A.’s entertainment industry by issuing her eighth executive directive to streamline and focus City department processes for local film and television production. Mayor Bass signed the executive directive into effect yesterday before heading to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to continue crucial preparations for Los Angeles to host the 2028 Games. The signing of this Executive Directive comes after Mayor Bass convened her inaugural Entertainment Industry Council to draw upon senior industry leaders’ expertise as she leads new efforts to support L.A’s entertainment industry last month.
“The entertainment industry is core to our economy and it is also core to our city’s identity and City Hall is going to do everything we can to support it,” said Mayor Bass. “This executive directive is my pledge that the City is renewing its support for the entertainment industry and is expected to provide the highest level of customer service as we work to make sure that Hollywood stabilizes.”
The executive directive is expected to improve City department processes by designating staff and resources toward supporting local production and film-permitting by requiring City departments to:
Meet with external industry stakeholders at least quarterly to address production-related challenges and solutions directly with departments.
Designate a Film Liaison staff member from key departments who will participate in the quarterly meetings and be available to the external industry to provide assistance with City processes.
Review internal department processes and make recommendations to streamline and facilitate the permitting and review process for filming.
Last month, Mayor Bass joined industry and labor leaders to recognize the groundbreaking of East End Studios’ Mission Campus in the Arts District, a cutting-edge film soundstage and production studio campus that will help expand opportunities for local production. Under Executive Directive 4, Mayor Bass is working to eliminate barriers to business development, growth and creation. The City streamlined the permitting and inspection for 7 new studios and soundstages to open on time and on budget. More than 8 million square feet of soundstage, studios and creative space are in the pipeline. Mayor Bass has championed the entertainment industry’s role in Los Angeles’ economy since her time in the state legislature when she served as Speaker of the Assembly, helping pass the first tax credit legislation to support local production alongside her colleague then-Assemblymember Paul Krekorian.
Read the full Executive Directive here:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE NO. 8
Issue Date: August 6, 2024
Subject: Uplifting Our Economy Through Entertainment Production
As the heart of the global entertainment industry, the City of Los Angeles stands as a beacon of creativity, innovation, and culture. The City boasts a rich tapestry of studios, soundstages, and post-production facilities, attracting filmmakers and content creators from every corner of the globe. Recognizing the entertainment industry is critical to the economic vitality of the Los Angeles region, this Executive Directive seeks to fortify and champion its role as a cornerstone of the City's economy, which generates billions in revenue and provides employment for hundreds of thousands of people. Recent data from the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation reveals that the entertainment industry contributes over $115 billion annually to the region's economy, sustaining a diverse employment base of over 681,000 individuals across a spectrum of professions.
However, despite its significant presence in Los Angeles, the City’s entertainment industry faces the challenge of production leakage to other markets. Without strategic intervention, the allure of competing locales threatens to divert resources and jobs away from the City. The City recognizes the urgency of slowing this trend, emphasizing the need to support local production and retain the City's status as the epicenter of the global entertainment landscape. By engaging directly with the entertainment industry to develop solutions, streamlining permitting processes, and offering support for film production within city limits, the City aims to fortify and support Los Angeles' position as the premier destination worldwide for filmmakers and content creators.
The entertainment industry is not just a cornerstone of the City's economy; it is a catalyst for innovation, opportunity, and cultural enrichment. Through this Executive Directive, the City must reaffirm Los Angeles's status as the unrivaled epicenter of the global entertainment landscape, ensuring that the City continues to shine brightly on screens both big and small for generations to come.
To that end, I direct all City Departments, Boards, and Commissions to cooperate with FilmLA, as well as the general film and television industry in the issuance of film permits, and promote a customer service-oriented culture.
Furthermore, I hereby establish:
A Film and Television Task Force comprising Film Liaisons from applicable City Departments and external industry stakeholders to meet quarterly to address production-related challenges and solutions directly with Departments. My office shall increase meeting frequency or call additional meetings, as deemed necessary.
And, I direct the General Managers, enumerated herein, to:
Identify and confirm the Film Liaison for their respective Department. The Liaison’s name and contact information shall be shared with the Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Board of Public Works and FilmLA, and shall be made publicly available. The list shall be updated monthly to reflect changes in Film Liaisons. This Executive Directive is applicable to the following City Departments:
Economic and Workforce Development Department
Board of Public Works
Bureau of Sanitation
Bureau of Engineering
Bureau of Contract Administration
Bureau of Street Lighting
Bureau of Street Services
Office of Finance
Department of City Planning
Fire Department
Police Department
Department of Building and Safety
Department of Cultural Affairs
General Services Department
Department of Recreation and Parks
Department of Water and Power
Department of Transportation
Library Department
Ensure the Department’s Film Liaison attends quarterly Film Task Force meetings facilitated jointly by the Board of Public Works and the Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
Review and compile existing procedures, processes, and timelines associated with filming and accessing permits for production, as well as recommendations for streamlining and data on the utilization of City facilities. Within 60 days, all Departments shall provide a report to the Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and the Board of Public Works. Within 12 months, the Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and the Board of Public Works shall provide recommendations to the Mayor on procedural updates to streamline film permitting.
Submit any proposed changes in policies and regulations that affect filming, film permitting or studio development to the Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and the Board of Public Works for feedback at least 45 working days before any change is expected to be approved or adopted.
Executed this 6th day of August 2024
_____________________________
KAREN BASS
Mayor
Supersedes Executive Directive No. 6 dated March 4, 2015 (Garcetti Series).