The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to make filming in the city dramatically cheaper, approving two measures meant to stop productions from fleeing Hollywood for other states and countries.
Under the new rules, crews of 10 or fewer can shoot in the city for free, and productions of any size can rent city-owned parking lots, yards and other properties for $1 a day.
Both measures were introduced by City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian as part of his “Keep Hollywood Home” campaign, an effort to strip away cost and red tape that has driven film and TV work out of the city that built the industry.
“Today marks a major milestone for the Keep Hollywood Home campaign,” Nazarian said in a statement. “With these latest actions, all Phase 1 motions have now been approved by the City. This progress demonstrates the impact of the Ad Hoc Committee and our commitment to keep up the pressure for real reforms.”
The vote comes just days after FilmLA reported that production in Los Angeles is still shrinking. Production days fell 5% from June through September 2026 compared with the same stretch in 2025, dropped 11% from the prior quarter, and sit 36% below the five-year average.
The decline persists even after California expanded its film and television tax credit from $350 million to $750 million last year, a move that has not reversed the exodus of productions to cheaper locations.
Nazarian launched Keep Hollywood Home on April 29, 2025, calling on “all relevant agencies to make recommendations for streamlining the film permitting process and eliminating regulatory obstacles to film and television production in Los Angeles.”
The measures passed this week make up “Phase 1” of that plan, which also includes a “Made in LA” branding system, soundstage certification, and a full audit of the city’s film industry infrastructure.
A “Phase 2” is already planned. It would waive fees from the Recreation and Parks Department, Department of Transportation and Los Angeles Fire Department for productions with fewer than 50 crew members, not counting cast. It also calls for retention programs for post-production and visual effects companies, daily fee caps for productions shooting on certified LA soundstages, incentives for local businesses that host film crews, and a $2 million seed fund to help small and medium productions cover fee costs.
