LA City Council approves free filming permits for small crews

Los Angeles City Council members voted Tuesday to establish a free permit for micro-shoots, a move designed to cut costs for productions with ten or fewer people. The ordinance allows these small teams to film in the city without paying a fee.

The council also approved the final component of the Keep Hollywood Home initiative. This resolution directs city departments to study how to reduce filming fees at qualifying municipal facilities to one dollar or the statutory minimum.

Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who authored the proposal and presides over the City Council's Special Committee on Film, Entertainment, and Creative Industry, called the vote a milestone. He stated that all Phase 1 motions of the campaign have now been approved by the city.

Nazarian said the committee’s work demonstrates a commitment to maintaining pressure for real reforms. The next step involves city departments submitting an implementation report for the new permit structure.

The legislative action comes as location filming in Los Angeles continues to decline. FilmLA reported 4,171 shooting days between July and September 2026. This figure represents a 4.8% decrease from the 4,380 days recorded in the same period last year.

Production levels also fell by approximately 11.5% compared to the second quarter of 2026. The total stood about 38.5% below the five-year average for the third quarter, according to FilmLA production data.

Despite the drop in total volume, state tax credit programs have altered the composition of local work. Productions utilizing state tax credits accounted for 40.3% of fiction location filming. This share is nearly double its level from one year prior.

Los Angeles County has lost more than 40,000 production jobs since 2022, according to federal data. Industry leaders have cited increased competition and shorter television seasons as key drivers of the industry's contraction.

Adrian McDonald, formerly the head of research at FilmLA, noted that major productions may not rely on small fee reductions for major decisions. However, he added that any measure to improve the perception of a jurisdiction as filming-friendly remains important for the local economy.