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A Coalition of Concerned Citizens, Filmmakers and Photographers

Los Angeles County Parks
When / Why do I need a Permit?
All filming at County parks, other than non-commercial photos such as among family members, requires a film permit issued by the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC), the entity authorized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to process film permits for County-operated facilities. Even student film projects and those by non-profit ? 501(c)(3) -- organizations require permits, although the Department of Parks and Recreation will waive location fees for those categories.
Procedure for Securing a Permit
• Contact should be made with the desired facility to determine dates of availability. A walk-through may also be scheduled with staff to determine the location, if the facility can accommodate requested use and if staff monitors are to be assigned. Additional park staff is at the expense of the filmmaker or photographer and will be collected by the Department of Parks and Recreation. These fees are in addition to fees paid to Film L.A. Inc.
• Once the date is cleared, the permit can be applied for by contacting Film L.A. Inc. at (213) 977-8600. Film L.A. Inc. will collect
location fees of $400 per day for motion and $100 per day for still photo shoots.
Film L.A. Inc. will also verify appropriate liability insurance coverage.
Department’s Film Permit Officer (FPO)
• The draft permit will be forwarded to the Department’s Film Permit Officer (FPO) to obtain authorization from appropriate facility staff.
• The FPO will then contact Film L.A. Inc. to release the permit to the filming company.
Popular Park Locations • Arcadia Park, Arcadia (626) 961-6393 • Castaic Lake Recreation Area, Castaic (661) 257-4050 • Crescenta Valley Community Regional Park, NE Glendale (La Crescenta area) (661) 259-1750 • Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area Park, Pearblossom (661) 944-2743 • Eaton Canyon Natural Area Park, NE Pasadena (626) 398-5420 • Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, San Dimas (909) 599-8411 • General Charles S. Farnsworth Park, Altadena (626) 798-1173 or (661) 259-1750 • Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area, Baldwin Hills (323) 298-3660 • Loma Alta Park, Altadena (661) 259-1750 • Placerita Canyon Natural Area Park, Newhall (661) 259-7721 • Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, Irwindale (626) 334-1065 • Schabarum Regional Park, Rowland Heights (626) 854-5560 • Veterans Memorial Park, Sylmar (818) 367-7050 or (661) 259-1750 • Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, S El Monte (626) 575-5526
Other popular filming sites are:
• Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
• Descanso Gardens • South Coast Botanic Garden
• Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park Virginia Robinson Gardens (still photos only)
County Filming Ordinance
These facilities (under a separate County Filming Ordinance)
have a different procedure than other County park facilities.
Please contact the facility to schedule a walk-through and to develop an individual contract.
Film L.A. Inc., (213) 977-8600, will process all permits.
On a County Golf Course County
golf courses are under the operation of management leases. In order to film on a County golf course, the management lessee must be contacted. Generally the filmmaker must pay an exclusive use fee, i.e., buy out the entire operation for the day(s). This will also likely include any concession operations such as the restaurant. To find out the management lessee for a specific course, please contact the
Department’s golf operations office at (626) 821-4646.

Picture New York |
Basically, this [proposed NY City film permit ordinance] opens the door to unlimited police interactions with photographers and filmmakers, because under these proposed rules, if they were passed, basically everyone with a camera, including everyone with a cell phone, would be someone who might have to have a permit to do photography... with all the people out there with cameras, most people are going to be left alone. This is going to give the police license to stop people they want to stop for whatever reason they want. And you can imagine who the likely targets are of that sort of enforcement... People with dark skin, people who look suspicious in the eyes of the police... It's going to be the people who tend to be harassed by the police in other contexts. -- Christopher Dunn

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JOHN LONGENECKER
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