A few weeks ago we came home to find a notice of filming on our front gate. We live in the film capitol of the world so we're used to our neighborhood being used as a film set. We want to support the industry but we also live here. We did a little digging and here's what we learned that can help make the temporary disruption a fun and harmonious experience for all:
- The City of Los Angeles issues permits that generally allow filming from 7 am to 10 pm. "Headlights in and taillights out" means crews can arrive at 7 am and they must be out by 10 pm. [continued]
Outside of these hours or for noisy or disruptive events (explosions, gunfire, low flying aircraft), a community survey from affected residents is required so that the City can understand the concerns of residents before issuing the permit.
- We should receive a notice about filming at least a day in advance.
- If we park on the street, we may use spaces that have been designated by the Department of
- Transportation for use of film crews but we must be considerate and move our cars before the times posted on the temporary "No Parking" signs.
- Film crews should be courteous and respect the rights of residents.
- FilmLA, the non-profit office that distributes and coordinates the permits issued by the City of Los Angeles, is available 24 hours a day. When in doubt, we can call them and check that a production has proper permits and what's being filmed or if we think that parking spaces have been prematurely coned off by the production. They can help us mediate with the crew and alert us to shooting in our neighborhoods.
For a full listing of the filmmaker's code of responsiblity, check FilmLA's website
I live downtown and filming (every other day, it seems) and the evils that come along with it (parking/bright lights at night/noise/etc) is probably my biggest complaint.
Stupid car commercials. :)
view gretchen's profile
And if you work at home, don't be shy about asking the location scout or the production manager for money for lost work. They have petty cash for just such contingencies.
view Palmetto's profile
I both work in TV production and own my own condo, so I feel for both parties. I wonder if there is any sort of restriction on how much filming can go on in a particular neighborhood in a certain time frame. Maybe this would help spread the love around? But then again it's hard to avoid that fact that there are specific highly-valued photogenic areas of LA that are going to bear the brunt of production.
I'd make a terrible politician.
view Nesser's profile
In NYC there is "hotlist" of streets that have been overfilmed and will not be permitted until a certain amount of time has passed. Commercials may pay cash to home owners but tv shows and films do not pay cash to people. Plus, you would be hard pressed to convince me that you lost money working from home just because we were shooting in your neighborhood.
view alexis's profile
Can anyone help me in dimishing the amount of filming that is being done in my neighborhood? Our street seems to be very popular with the film crews and last year filming was done by some one or other 8 weeks straight. This does not count the overall yearly filming done here. I have small children that play in our front yard and ask film vehicles not to park in front of our house. Them not parking there usually only happens if I enforce it the day of filming and only if they don't need to unload cars from a giant rig, otherwise, they don't care and use the only space available-mine.
It seems to me that there should be a limit to how much filming can be done in one particular area. It's only fair. I did not move into a backlot.
And please don't refer me to FilmLA. I've asked them to provide me with rules and regs twice and they don't seem to care to do anything outside of their canned [you don't have the right to not want filming in your neighborhood, stop bothering us] response.
view haskids's profile