In an effort to slow runaway production in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa met with city department representatives to find ways to keep productions shooting in town.
In Los Angeles, feature filming has plummeted to nearly half of what it was in 1996, according to a California Film Commission report cited in the LA Times. The number of TV pilots shot fell 24% since 2004. The state’s share of U.S. feature film production fell to 31% in 2008 from 66% in 2003, the Times said.
Agencies including the Los Angeles Zoo, Department of Water and Power, Port of Los Angeles, Department of Transportation and Department of General Services, were on hand. The Mayor asked representatives to identify city buildings, parking lots and other facilities producers could use for films and to find ways to make it easier for producers to shoot locally.
The meetings follow Villaraigosa's other efforts to curb runaway production including appointing “liaisons" in departments to facilitate productions and cut through the red tape.
