LA launches fee cuts and parking discounts to reverse 24% filming decline

Mayor Karen Bass announced two pilot programs Wednesday to stem a 24% drop in Los Angeles filming, including a 58% fee reduction for low-impact productions already in effect and a proposed 20% discount on city-owned parking lots pending a May council vote.

The announcement reflects mounting pressure on city officials to halt an industry exodus driven by the pandemic, production-sector strikes and low-cost competition elsewhere. For Orange County — home to a large share of working crew members and production vendors who commute into LA studios — any recovery in Hollywood output carries direct economic stakes.

The low-impact production program is already in effect, while the parking discount requires City Council approval expected in May, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Both programs are designed to run one year so the city can collect data before deciding on permanent adoption.

FilmLA CEO Denise Gutches described the relief at the announcement: "We're going to reduce the fees for these filmmakers who qualify by 58%."

Bass made her remarks at the construction site of Echelon Studios Hollywood, a facility expected to open in early 2027 with more than 500,000 square feet of soundstages and production space. "Where we are now is a beautiful example of what's to come in Los Angeles," she said.

L.A. City Councilman Adrin Nazarian backed the pilot-first approach. "Do it for six months, do it for 12 months, do it for 18 months. Collect the data, see how it works and implement it. If it doesn't work, it was just a pilot project," he said. Nazarian added that pending measures "will save film and TV jobs across the city and beyond. Let's get them done."

City Council is weighing eight additional film-related incentive measures, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Bass framed the broader effort in blunt terms: "All of these things help reduce the cost of filming in Los Angeles — an industry that for too long we took for granted."

The May council vote on the parking discount will serve as an early test of whether city leaders are willing to sustain a long-term commitment to keeping Hollywood in Los Angeles.