LA council cuts film costs to one dollar

Film and television shoot days in Los Angeles dropped 11 percent from the previous quarter, according to data released by FilmLA this month.

The City Council voted Wednesday to pass two measures designed to lower barriers for productions filming in the city. Both proposals were introduced by Councilmember Adrin Nazarian.

The first measure creates a free microshoot permit for projects with ten or fewer crew members. This change targets student filmmakers, documentary teams, and ultra-low-budget productions that previously had to pay standard fees to film on location.

The second motion allows productions to use city-owned parking lots, yards, civic properties, and staging areas for $1 a day. These spaces are typically used for base camp operations and crew parking.

Nazarian said the actions complete the first phase of the Keep Hollywood Home campaign. He noted that all Phase 1 motions have now been approved by the City.

The decision comes less than a week after FilmLA reported that shoot days fell from June to September. The total dropped nearly five percent compared to the same period in 2025. Local and state efforts to bring production back to the city have not yet reversed the downward trend.

State and local leaders have taken other steps to support the industry. California more than doubled its annual film and television tax credit funding from $330 million to $750 million in 2025. Mayor Karen Bass also issued an executive order that year to streamline the city permitting process. The Council previously approved seven initial motions from Nazarian earlier this year to improve filming practices.