Culver City Cuts Film Permit Fees by 60% to Boost Local Production

In a bid to reduce filming costs in Los Angeles, FilmLA, the city’s permitting agency, has collaborated with Culver City officials to slash fees for on-location shoots in the Westside city. The changes apply to the area where major studios, including Sony Pictures, Amazon MGM, and Apple Studios, are headquartered.

Key Fee Reductions Announced

Effective immediately, Culver City has waived its $660 per permit fee for motion picture and still photography shoots. This means Culver City can now be included in FilmLA’s multi-jurisdiction permit applications at no additional cost. Additionally, the city has eliminated daily use fees: $350 per day for motion picture shoots and $75 per day for still photography shoots.

FilmLA estimates that for a typical three-day film shoot, these reductions will lower the total administration fee by $1,700—a nearly 60% decrease from already incentivized levels. These changes follow Culver City’s $500,000 film incentive program, launched in December, as well as recent reductions to minimum insurance requirements to align with nearby jurisdictions.

Mayor Highlights Equity and Accessibility

“As soon as we realized we could do more to support filmmaking in Culver City, we took immediate action. We are grateful to Culver City’s Economic Development Department and FilmLA for running the numbers to prove that yes, this change is not only affordable, it will create true equity of access to the City neighborhoods and locations where filmmakers already want to work.”

Broader Context: Declining LA Shoot Days

Local and state officials have intensified efforts to preserve Hollywood’s production industry amid a nearly 50% drop in quarterly shoot days since 2022. Many entertainment workers have relocated to other states and countries in search of opportunities, prompting collaborations between studios, unions, and government agencies.

Additional Incentives in Los Angeles

To further attract productions, California expanded its film and TV tax incentive program from $330 million to $750 million last year. FilmLA has also introduced a new “low impact” permit program, allowing expedited permits for productions with fewer than 30 combined cast and crew, no safety inspections, and no road closures required.

The Los Angeles City Council passed additional reforms in March, including waiving city fees for on-location shoots that do not require safety inspections and auditing the city’s permitting system.

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