March 05--Los Angeles may be the entertainment capital of the world, but it can do a better job of supporting the film industry.
At least that's the view of Mayor Eric Garcetti, who announced a series of steps Wednesday aimed at making L.A. more film friendly.
The mayor ordered city agencies to designate a film liaison to cooperate with FilmL.A., the nonprofit group that handles film permits for the city. He also directed city departments to adopt "predictable and consistent" fees that "cover only incremental costs to the city."
Other steps include requiring certain city employees to attend an annual training seminar to "emphasize the importance of filming to our city" and provide a comprehensive list of buildings, facilities and open spaces that could accommodate production shoots and base camps.
"The city must collaborate more closely with and support the film industry," Garcetti said in a statement. "As such, city departments' interaction with the film and entertainment industry needs to be consistent, streamlined and efficient."
The moves were intended to address long-standing complaints among filmmakers and location scouts about high fees and excessive red tape when dealing with the city's bureaucracy.
Garcetti recently announced his film office would begin a push over the next two months to promote the state's newly expanded film tax credits.
Called "Greenlight Hollywood," the campaign will target the greenlight committees of major studios and talent agencies, managers and financiers to promote Los Angeles as a film destination.
Keeping Hollywood in California has been one of Garcetti's top priorities.
