L.A. City Council Passes New Motions Aimed at Film-Friendly Overhaul
Los Angeles City Council has approved two measures aimed at making filming in the city cheaper and easier, as production activity continues to decline. The changes are intended to support smaller projects and make city locations more accessible, as officials seek to encourage film and television work to remain in Los Angeles.
One measure creates a free on-location permit for productions with no more than 10 personnel, including student films and documentaries. The other lets productions use city-owned parking lots, yards and other sites for base camps or crew parking for $1 a day. FilmLA reported that shoot days from June to September fell nearly 5% from the same period in 2025 and 11% from the previous quarter; California also expanded its annual film tax-credit funding from $330 million to $750 million in 2025.
In short
- LA approved free permits for shoots with 10 or fewer people.
- Productions can use some city sites for $1 a day.
- FilmLA recorded fewer shoot days despite incentives.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters can argue that free permits for very small productions and low-cost access to city sites remove practical barriers, helping students, documentarians and independent filmmakers work in Los Angeles. With local shoot days declining, modest measures to keep productions and their economic activity in the city may complement the expanded state tax credit.
The case against
Critics can argue that discounted permits and city facilities shift costs onto public resources, while the reported decline in filming does not by itself show these measures will bring productions back. They may prefer the city to assess lost fee revenue, operational demands and the benefits to local workers before offering broad subsidies, especially when state tax-credit funding has also increased.