On a motion by Supervisor Don Knabe at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Los Angeles County will review its current board policies and consider revisions in accordance with the recently revised California Film Commission’s Model Film Ordinance, which protects more than 6,600 local businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs.
“As a job creator and tourism generator, the film industry is vital to the economic well-being of Los Angeles County and our 88 cities,” said Supervisor Knabe. “The world’s view that Los Angeles is Hollywood – the mecca of film and television – is critical to attracting visitors and boosting the local economy. We cannot take for granted our position as the center of the entertainment industry.”
In May, the California Film Commission adopted a revised statewide Model Film Ordinance and Best Practices based on extensive stakeholder outreach together with Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), FilmL.A., and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). The purpose of a standardized statewide ordinance was to provide the entertainment industry with a uniform set of policies and procedures to secure on-location production that will streamline the permitting process and send a clear signal that this is a coveted industry California intends to retain.
According to the LAEDC, the entertainment industry accounts for 176,700 jobs and $30 billion in spending in the Southern California region and is the third largest industry in Los Angeles County, behind international trade and tourism.