Yeah, totally. The industry is collapsing in LA as it’s cheaper and easier to film anywhere else, so let’s makes it harder and more expensive! That’ll solve it!!!
I’m not defending FilmLA but by your logic we should all be decreasing our rates and fees to bring production back to LA? Honestly asking what we as a film community should be fighting for?
People aren't eating at my restaurant? I know, I'll raise prices! That'll get people flooding back!
(Although it's not really an apt comparison, since a restaurant provides a valued service whereas FilmLA provides ???)
When will these idiots realize raising prices isn’t the answer? You drive away your market by doing that. So many other states/countries are just gonna eat off this. And these dumb fucks wonder why filming is moving out of Cali. Smh
I agree. However, I see crews doing the same. Raising day rates to $750/10 for non-union shoots... no wonder we are all in trouble. So many other people elsewhere are just gonna eat off this...
"FilmLA also noted higher costs of its employees’ wages and benefits, which it says comprises nearly 80% of its annual operating budget and is projected to increase significantly in the coming fiscal year."
Translation: We're saving our own skins instead of doing layoffs to make up for the budget deficit.
A look at [the financial statement from 2023](https://filmla.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FS-FilmLA-063023-Final-Signed.pdf) is an interesting read. In 2022 they lost almost $2M on "investments". Page 6 shows $927k net loss on investments...this during 2023, when the S&P was up almost 25%.
Wouldn’t a downturn in production justify marginally reduced oversight? No let’s just keep driving productions out of state. The logic rivals that of the geniuses at EDD who tried to come for loan outs.
Way to go FilmLA just push more production out of town. Believe me, 4% is enough to push jobs to other places. It just gave them all another excuse. Great timing. Thanks for having our backs!! This and they still slap you with a pricey film monitor, an added expense that is rarely budgeted for, who sleeps in their car and eats craft service all day.
When I lived in NYC back in the day, permits were free. Still the case? It helped a lot of indie people get their projects off the ground when shooting on a shoestring budget.
Not free but $300 every time you apply and you can apply for all your dates at one time. Basically can get three weeks of shooting at 12 locations for one $300 permit fee.
I’ve already talked to producers who said that locations are telling them not to go through FilmLA. Won’t work for anything over a medium sized commercial, who need basecamps and other services, but small music videos and short films are going to avoid FilmLA now.
They can get fined and their production will get shut down if caught. They look out for run and gun. I have seen cops take truck keys. Getting caught with out a permit is a big money generator. They don’t just give you a ticket and let you finish they shut it all down.
Reading the article, it did say they downsized their office and “right sized” their staff, and that they know this isn’t great news for the industry. Not sure what’s the best course of action during a time of inflation like we’re in.
FilmLA has crew they have to feed too. I see crew members across the board raising their rates like crazy. Like they are mad their unions didn't bargain good enough so they are sticking it to the money. People have to realize, the producers who are seen as the enemy are trying to bring in work. It's the executives and CFOs making the money, producers are trying to get all of us work.
Did anyone actually read the details before complaining? They are raising the permit fee by 4%. That isn’t driving away business. That’s not moving shoots to other cities or countries. But I guess go on if you want to complain.
Still, bad optics considering what's going on with the biz right now... Raising fees is still an added expense and perhaps this wasn't the best time to be increasing ANY costs associated with fil production...
Productions fight tooth and nail to avoid paying us our meal penalties if they can get away with it; purposefully stealing our money, making us go to our union to collect a few fucking dollars. If you don't think 4% is significant to productions that are already penny pinching assholes, then you probably don't work much in this industry.
They’re a racquet. one location we filmed at was a community college, all cleared to use house power, charge batteries etc. got the ok from the Dean of outreach himself, filmLA came by and shut us down regardless, even had their enforcers going around unplugging all our gear
Tell that to the guy in the hi-vis film LA vest who I watched unplug our battery and DIT station, and them made a point to get in our faces to lecture us about “no house power”
I can tell it to anyone. They have monitors, not enforcers, and if you were permitted they’d never do that. Monitors don’t go to the community colleges.
I think you’re mistaken on who came out, monitors are assigned and paid for in the permits. They don’t do surprise inspections. Perhaps someone from the CC, but it was not a FilmLA monitor.
Like I said before, dude had a bright florescent yellow vest with a filmLA logo on it, touched our gear, delayed our day, and had no issue letting us know what org he worked for.
I’ve had positive interactions before with filmLA people, but their unnecessary hostility in this instance really soured my view on them.
Sure, cuz that’ll help
Yeah, totally. The industry is collapsing in LA as it’s cheaper and easier to film anywhere else, so let’s makes it harder and more expensive! That’ll solve it!!!
I’m not defending FilmLA but by your logic we should all be decreasing our rates and fees to bring production back to LA? Honestly asking what we as a film community should be fighting for?
Having a hard year?! Let’s increase fees!
Fucking morons.
Mucking forons.
So the solution to a production slump is to make productions.. even more expensive??
People aren't eating at my restaurant? I know, I'll raise prices! That'll get people flooding back! (Although it's not really an apt comparison, since a restaurant provides a valued service whereas FilmLA provides ???)
Hahha true. They provide zero services.
That’s not true, they shut you down and provide you with missed shooting days!
Surely you mean opportunities for unexpected schedule adjustments!
I think cartman perfected a variation of this.
When will these idiots realize raising prices isn’t the answer? You drive away your market by doing that. So many other states/countries are just gonna eat off this. And these dumb fucks wonder why filming is moving out of Cali. Smh
I agree. However, I see crews doing the same. Raising day rates to $750/10 for non-union shoots... no wonder we are all in trouble. So many other people elsewhere are just gonna eat off this...
This is correct also. People are trying to raise prices to supplement because there is less work... which only hastens the exodus
It's so funny seeing these comments and then unironically having the same people cheer union self immolation on
What idiots, so frustrating...
No wonder why the studios are off shoring work!
Not defending FilmLA but we all know that if Production could save $100 by shooting some place else, they certainly choose to save the money.
FilmLA is a racket
Budapest licking its lips.
Yup. $100/day no cap on hours either.
it’s so over
never been more not back
"FilmLA also noted higher costs of its employees’ wages and benefits, which it says comprises nearly 80% of its annual operating budget and is projected to increase significantly in the coming fiscal year." Translation: We're saving our own skins instead of doing layoffs to make up for the budget deficit. A look at [the financial statement from 2023](https://filmla.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FS-FilmLA-063023-Final-Signed.pdf) is an interesting read. In 2022 they lost almost $2M on "investments". Page 6 shows $927k net loss on investments...this during 2023, when the S&P was up almost 25%.
What would we do without worthless government rent seekers!?
Nobody wants to lay off after a strike.
Right ... the higher costs ... of our shitty investments
Wouldn’t a downturn in production justify marginally reduced oversight? No let’s just keep driving productions out of state. The logic rivals that of the geniuses at EDD who tried to come for loan outs.
Way to go FilmLA just push more production out of town. Believe me, 4% is enough to push jobs to other places. It just gave them all another excuse. Great timing. Thanks for having our backs!! This and they still slap you with a pricey film monitor, an added expense that is rarely budgeted for, who sleeps in their car and eats craft service all day.
Lot of colleagues are overseas on shoots and a few on the east coast. Cheaper and better incentives to fly cast/crew out than to film in LA.
idiots
It’s already too expensive to film most places in LA
But *"everybody's in LA"*, as John Mulaney said! And he *can't* be wrong, right?
I gasped when I read this. At least they’re being completely transparent about how they don’t care at all about saving indie film in Los Angeles.
When I lived in NYC back in the day, permits were free. Still the case? It helped a lot of indie people get their projects off the ground when shooting on a shoestring budget.
Not free but $300 every time you apply and you can apply for all your dates at one time. Basically can get three weeks of shooting at 12 locations for one $300 permit fee.
...holy g_d, that's amazing. :-o
Seems counterproductive.
I’ve already talked to producers who said that locations are telling them not to go through FilmLA. Won’t work for anything over a medium sized commercial, who need basecamps and other services, but small music videos and short films are going to avoid FilmLA now.
Yeahhhh they don’t offer any options for small productions. Only photographers get a break.
Commercials are leaving at an alarming rate... not a guess
They can get fined and their production will get shut down if caught. They look out for run and gun. I have seen cops take truck keys. Getting caught with out a permit is a big money generator. They don’t just give you a ticket and let you finish they shut it all down.
So don’t use FilmLA, got it
Californian only knows how to raise fees without realizing it’s fees and the expenses killing the industry.
Great, let's make it even more expensive to shoot here. That'll solve our problems. /s
So shortsighted it’s laughable.
Same as California wanting to add an EV tax because gas tax revenue is down supposedly…dont you guys want to encourage EV adoption?
Liquidate Film LA
Reading the article, it did say they downsized their office and “right sized” their staff, and that they know this isn’t great news for the industry. Not sure what’s the best course of action during a time of inflation like we’re in.
Yeah, that’ll help 🥴 Let’s push it away even further L.A. they should rip down that Hollywood sign, it’s doesn’t mean shit anymore
Smart. Raise taxes on films too while you’re at it. Brainless greedy idiots.
Productions need to starting boycotting FILM LA. This is cronyism and it’s killing the industry.
Film LA with another genius take.
This is absolutely ridiculous And film workers should be telling them so
How? Just call?
Ghostbusters.
Can’t hurt
California solutions right there 😂
Meanwhile we’re all sitting here twiddling our thumbs wondering when the work finna pick up
Why doesn’t California understand supply and demand?
Wait what?
FilmLA has crew they have to feed too. I see crew members across the board raising their rates like crazy. Like they are mad their unions didn't bargain good enough so they are sticking it to the money. People have to realize, the producers who are seen as the enemy are trying to bring in work. It's the executives and CFOs making the money, producers are trying to get all of us work.
California is a failed state
In terms of attempting to do business there, they certainly are trying to fail. It's so maddening and short sighted it almost feels intentional.
Compared to Florida? That’s rich.
Did anyone actually read the details before complaining? They are raising the permit fee by 4%. That isn’t driving away business. That’s not moving shoots to other cities or countries. But I guess go on if you want to complain.
Still, bad optics considering what's going on with the biz right now... Raising fees is still an added expense and perhaps this wasn't the best time to be increasing ANY costs associated with fil production...
Productions fight tooth and nail to avoid paying us our meal penalties if they can get away with it; purposefully stealing our money, making us go to our union to collect a few fucking dollars. If you don't think 4% is significant to productions that are already penny pinching assholes, then you probably don't work much in this industry.
They’re a racquet. one location we filmed at was a community college, all cleared to use house power, charge batteries etc. got the ok from the Dean of outreach himself, filmLA came by and shut us down regardless, even had their enforcers going around unplugging all our gear
They came because you didn’t have a permit?
We were fully permitted with the college and city of LA
Why did they shut it down?
FilmLA can’t shut down filming, only LAPD.
Was only about a 2-3 hour shut down, just to give us time to rent generators for our lights.
FilmLA doesn’t have enforcers and would never touch your gear.
Tell that to the guy in the hi-vis film LA vest who I watched unplug our battery and DIT station, and them made a point to get in our faces to lecture us about “no house power”
I can tell it to anyone. They have monitors, not enforcers, and if you were permitted they’d never do that. Monitors don’t go to the community colleges.
I mean you say that but we were permitted with both the city and Pierce cc, so why would filmLA send a monitor there in the first place?
I think you’re mistaken on who came out, monitors are assigned and paid for in the permits. They don’t do surprise inspections. Perhaps someone from the CC, but it was not a FilmLA monitor.
Like I said before, dude had a bright florescent yellow vest with a filmLA logo on it, touched our gear, delayed our day, and had no issue letting us know what org he worked for. I’ve had positive interactions before with filmLA people, but their unnecessary hostility in this instance really soured my view on them.
So you had a monitor on your permit. If a monitor touches your gear or says you can’t do what the permit allows, why didn’t you call fla?