Take film and television location shooting in Los Angeles. It’s up, way up. Over the summer, film and TV production ran more than 50 percent higher than a year ago.
That’s partly because of a proliferation of new media outlets. The state’s new $300 million annual tax subsidy program is also getting credit for helping to halt runaway production.
An increase in neighborhood shooting means more local jobs and investment, a good thing for many Angelenos. But it’s also led to a spike in residents complaining about the headaches caused by production crews on city streets.
Film L.A., the office that oversees location shooting in Los Angeles, says community complaints about filming are up about 20 percent this year compared to 2013. More than 3,200 complaints from L.A. residents have been filed with the agency this year.
Most of the complaints involve production crews taking up parking spaces. Other gripes include the frequency of filming in places like downtown L.A. and Hancock Park, as well as production work that goes late into the evening in residential neighborhoods.
To help smooth relations between production crews and residents, Film L.A. says it’s devoting more resources to community outreach.