Today, Los Angeles City Councilmember Richard Alarcón introduced a motion instructing the Chief Legislative Analyst and City Administrative Officer (CAO), with input from FilmL.A., LA, Inc., local businesses, business groups, entertainment unions or other necessary sources, to report to the Jobs & Business Development Committee within 60 days on recommendations for the creation, implementation and oversight of a “Film Friendly LA” discount card.
“The film industry is woven into the fabric of Los Angeles, with businesses across the City and across industries benefiting from the dollars spent by film productions and the workers in the industry, and we must continue to find new ways to encourage films to stay in LA” said Councilmember Richard Alarcón. “My motion to create a “Film Friendly LA” is a win-win for the industry and local businesses, reducing costs for productions, increasing business at participating
companies and allowing us to continue to create new incentives to keep filming local at no or low cost to the City.”
“Film Friendly LA” will be based on several successful programs across the United States, including the “Now Playing” program in Austin, TX, the “Made in New York” program in New York City, NY, and the “Scene in San Francisco” program in San Francisco, CA. In all of these programs, productions and individuals working on productions are issued a discount card, which can be used at participating businesses.
The business include those that cater specifically to the industry and productions – such as caterers, camera rental companies or prop houses – as well as businesses which cater to the workers, including restaurants, dry cleaners and hardware stores. The “Made in New York” program includes discounts at over 1,000 businesses and there is a mobile ap that was created to make it easier for those participating in the program to find information and locations of participating vendors. The “Now Playing” program includes listings of all the
vendors on their website. The “Scene in San Francisco” program requires vendors to give a minimum discount of 10% and businesses are required to provide discounts to both the companies and the individuals who are working on the productions. Councilmember Alarcón’s motion directs the CLA and CAO to review these various programs and offer recommendations for the implementation of a similar program, “Film Friendly LA,” locally.
The film industry is a major driver in the economy of Los Angeles. According to a 2010 report by the LA Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), the entertainment industry directly employs 141,000 people and generates upwards of $38 billion dollars annually in LA County. Because of the importance of the industry to the local economy, in the last two years, Los Angeles has taken over two dozen unique steps to compete with the incentives and programs that other cities, states and countries have created to lure film production away from Hollywood.
Councilmember Alarcón has been spearheading these initiatives, including reducing taxes for most production companies that produce their film, TV and commercials in Los Angeles, the consideration of a sales tax rebate for productions shooting in Los Angeles, the creation of “utility nodes” at key filming locations, increased efficiency in posting of signs, road closures and permit processing and opening up city-owned parking lots for free or at-cost parking for production companies.
Councilmember Alarcón has requested that his “Film Friendly LA” motion be heard at the April 12, 2011, meeting of the Jobs & Business Development Committee, for which he is the Chair. The Jobs & Business Development Committee oversees issues relating to filming, job creation and the economy.
