Those who got into the Economic Development and Jobs Committee hearing saw all the council members on the committee approve most of Nazarian’s nine proposals, though some changes were made.
Nazarian got the go-ahead for several of his ideas, including making it faster to get approval for soundstages and asking all city departments to follow Mayor Karen Bass’s order about filming.
He also got support for an independent review of the city’s permit system, a free permit for small shoots (those with 10 or fewer people), and a plan to work with nearby cities and counties to make their permit rules easier to follow.
Some changes to his proposals were approved, like making it simpler for police and fire departments to handle filming, lowering fees for parking and filming on city property to just $1, and removing special rules that make it harder to film in certain neighborhoods like Hancock Park or the Arts District.
After the meeting, Nazarian told The Hollywood Reporter that only one change would need more discussion, the one about removing the special conditions.
He said he wanted to keep talking to make sure everyone feels okay about moving forward with the plan to bring more filming to Los Angeles.
People who support the “Stay in L.A.” movement, which has been pushing for better policies for the film industry since early 2025, filled the hearing.
As the motions passed, workers in the industry cheered loudly.
Not everyone was happy.
The Motion Picture Association wrote a letter to the council members with some concerns about the proposals, as did some unions. They especially didn't agree with the idea of an independent audit for FilmLA and wanted a way to monitor microshoots to stop bad actors from causing problems.
Since the motions passed on Tuesday, they can now be considered by the whole council as soon as later this month.
Until then, Nazarian said he wants to talk with everyone who had concerns to find the best way forward. He said it’s better to make precise changes than to make broad changes.
He also said there's a need for urgency.
He believes the industry has been taking things too slowly and that they need to act quickly now.
During the hearing, people shared their struggles.
A production designer said she can't afford to live off her film work anymore and is having trouble paying rent and food. A former studio worker who was laid off said if she can't pay rent, she'll have to find another job to survive. A member of the IATSE Local 728 union said some of his coworkers have even taken their own lives.
Councilmember Traci Park, whose partner is in the Editors Guild and hasn’t worked in a while, said she understands the pain firsthand.
She said, “We feel the pinch every single day,” and “I feel your pain on this.” She said she had questions about the motion but added, “I just want you all to feel heard.”
No comments:
Post a Comment