Securing film permits in Los Angeles can feel like an uphill battle. But a grassroots movement is working to change that, one policy win at a time.
Bishop Porter sits down with
Cale Thomas, an Emmy Award-winning makeup artist and co-lead for legislative and policy efforts at
Stay in LA. They discuss why productions keep leaving Hollywood and what it will take to bring them back. Cale shares the realities film crews face and explains what his organization is doing to address long-standing issues, including understaffed film offices and inequitable permitting fees.
Key insights from this episode: - Why LA's permits process is driving productions to other cities
- How grassroots advocacy can influence city council policy and legislation
- How inequitable fees are hurting small independent productions the most
Chapters:
(
02:50) How Stay In LA got its first policy wins
(
06:27) Why productions choose to shoot outside LA
(
11:34) The fixes needed to win productions back
(
15:35) Permit inequity that hinders independent films
(
18:03) How to find and attend the public hearings that actually move policy
(
19:20) Culver City is the blueprint for a production-friendly city policy
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