TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to return to City Council within 90 days a report on the status of filming in Long Beach, a review of the incentives we provide and a proposal to stimulate further interest from film companies to locate their productions within the City of Long Beach.
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach remains a top location for the filming of movies, television programs and commercials. Even after the cancellation of "Dexter" and "CSI Miami", the city can still expect to issue a healthy number of filming permits every year. From October to December in 2013, the city issued 153 filming permits, which is a slight increase from the same period in 2012.
But despite the myriad advantages that Long Beach presents to those seeking to film in our area, there are several factors that pose a risk to the future success of this important source of revenue for the city. The growing uncertainty regarding the profitability of filming projects has forced producers to be extremely careful with their budgets. As a result projects that were once likely to be filmed within Long Beach or Southern California are now likely to leave the state for incentives" (tax credits, local labor contracts, free public services, etc) from other states, cities, and even countries. Some places have embraced this "race to the bottom" style of attracting the film industry to such a degree that they are giving away film permits in exchange for a simple acknowledgement of the city or state with their logo in the credits of the movie or television show.
The entertainment industry provides significant direct sources of revenue from fees and permits to Long Beach, as well as their indirect contribution to our economy through the purchase of local goods and supplies. As a result we should actively seek to promote and cultivate further growth in this important (and highly visible) intersection of our artistic community and business sector.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fisca...
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