LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday unanimously voted to establish a free micro-shoot permit for shoots with 10 or fewer filmmakers on site.
The council approved a proposed ordinance that would formally establish a free micro-shoot permit in the municipal code. The program aims to make smaller-scale and independent filming more accessible and affordable in Los Angeles. According to Councilman Adrin Nazarian, who authored the proposal, the next step is for city departments to report on an implementation plan.
In a separate and similar vote, the council instructed relevant city departments to explore reducing fees for filming on qualified city facilities to $1 per day or a similar legally required minimal fee.
"Today marks a major milestone for the Keep Hollywood Home campaign," said Nazarian, who chairs the council's Ad Hoc Committee on Film, Entertainment and the Creative Industry. "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 city's film initiatives come amid a continued decline affecting on- location filming during the third quarter of 2026, despite a sharp increase in production supported by the state's expanded film and television tax credit program.
FilmLA, the nonprofit organization that coordinates film permits and tracks on-location production in the LA area, reported 4,171 shoot days from July through September, a 4.8% decrease from the 4,380 recorded during the same period last year.
Overall filming was also down about 11.5% from the second quarter and roughly 38.5% below the average for the third quarter during the previous five years, based on FilmLA's production figures.
At the same time, productions receiving state tax credits accounted for 40.3% of scripted on-location filming, nearly double their share a year earlier, according to FilmLA.
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