A middle man scheme and a huge waste of your budget. They are super slow and unaffordable if you're on a micro-budget. If you can, avoid permits like the plague and just make a deal with the owner of where you shoot. Don't get permits to shoot in your own places either, it's all a waste. read more

I've been a commercial director for 25 years and never had to pull a permit until I decided to do a simple two person photo shoot at a city pool. FilmLA's non-refundable $931.00 was high I thought, but turns out that later you get additional fees never discussed...Those fees totalled another grand. Now I understand why shooting in LA is so unforgiving and FilmLA coordinator would not speak to me on the phone, only email so you can't get information and have a dialogue. I'm now shooting out of state. read more

FilmLA has singlehandedly shut down the film business in LA, forcing most productions to move out of the city. I own a production company and rental location, and FilmLA has been a disaster for business. For example, FILMLA would say a permit will take 3 business days, but then push it to two weeks, causing scheduled shoots to scramble for alternative locations and eventually give up and move out of state. Small productions are hit the hardest, with massive fees, weeks of delays, red tape, and delays. I don't get it. The whole 'non-profit' should be shut down and the people who run it charged with fraud. read more

FilmLA is a indispensable organization to the Greater Los Angeles Film Community. They are tireless in their pursuit of helping productions achieve their goals. While their is always room for improvement in any organization, I have never felt a lack of compassion for the productions or the communities we film in. Their database of information, institutional memory, and willingness to problem-solve is of great value to our communities. read more

I am a location manager and typically work on larger budgeted shows which means some of the stuff I need to do is bigger and more complex. FilmLA has always been an incredible resource for me. Figuring out ways to close tunnels, bridges, roads...and keep a neighborhood/community happy, as well as keep my production company happy. The gentle balance of the public and my production being happy is a difficult one. Sometimes needs conflict. Many times needs conflict. HAHA. But we make it work. FilmLA makes pulling off the big projects in LA, the ones who pour money into our communities and economy, doable. Special shoutout to my coordinator CJ for dealing with my elaborate permits and Bosco and Derek for keeping the balance right in the world while we film. read more

A garbage corrupt, bloated organization that behave more like shakedown thugs. And they are incompetent; they incorrectly filled out our permits and if our agent hadn't spotted yet another hidden fee, we would have lost our shoot-dates. Utter morons. Be warned, shoot in any other city or state and you will not regret it. Not even New York compares, in fact they are friendly and helpful by comparison to these idiots. read more

Hire a permit company to deal with them and save yourself time and stress. Working with them directly is frustrating, it feels like they are working against you while they bleed your production dry. Their hours say they are closed at 6 but most coordinators dip out around 5. Every time I've had to permit through them it's been a nightmare. I wonder why people hate filming in L.A....? Hmmmmm read more

A convoluted shit-show and extortion racket, rolled into one stressful nightmare. My advice? If you're a small film, don't shoot in LA. And if you do, shoot all interiors, because this place is disorganized, stressful, and on the grift. $$$ Just awful. In short... The permitting process is confusing and easy to screw up. And then? They leave you to twist in the wind, waiting to communicate with you until the last minute, *the day before your shoot,* which is incredibly nerve-racking. After calling daily for two weeks, our insurance coordinator finally answered the phone the day before our shoot. She was extremely rude, flippant and condescending, informing me I'd done the insurance certificates incorrectly. We were also informed (again -- the *day* before our shoot) that we owed an additional $850 in hidden fees, which was never once mentioned at any time during the weeks prior. We were a small non-profit trying to do a simple one-day shoot with a crew of 3 people. The non-refundable permit fee of nearly $900 had already been very expensive for us. The extra $850 was out of our budget. We ended up pulling the plug on our shoot entirely. I felt absolutely horrible, as this was such a nice, well-intended little project. THE WORST PART?! A week later, they invoiced me for the extra $850, claiming we still owed that $$, even though we didn't end up filming, because they'd gone to the trouble of preparing the permit. When I pushed back, they sent me a rather aggressive email claiming they'd "thoroughly explained" the process and we owed them that money. So we pulled the plug on our shoot for no reason? When we were just going to have to pay that money anyway?! What a joke. Infuriating. What highway robbery. It felt like I was dealing with a bunch of corrupt mobsters. I have produced shoots all over the country and Film LA is by far the worst permitting experience I've ever had. read more

FilmLA is the worst film permit office I have encountered. Overpriced, overly complicated, nothing has been centralized and you often have to coordinate with multiple other offices depending on where you are filming. They are always slow, barely respond to you and always leave everything to the last minute and last day. On multiple instances have they messed up and get permits approved after closing hours and on the shooting day. Why have these time frames and deadlines for the filmmaker if you have no intention on getting anything done until the last day anyway or even "rush" things through way after the supposed "deadline." Terrible. The city needs to revoke this contract and handle it themselves. They can't be any worse. read more

I'm pretty much echo-ing what most recent reviewers have said but it's the truth. Dealing with Film LA is absolute hell. I tried to coordinate a simple, one-day shoot in Los Angeles and they made the process incredibly convoluted. They require insurance for all film projects regardless of scope, refuse to email permits, and refuse to accept credit card payments. We ended up not moving forward with the shoot because it would've cost upwards of $5K. I've coordinated multiple shoots like this and have never run into the issues I ran into with Film LA. I also echo what the most recent review said about them waiting until the last minute for everything. Part of the reason why we canceled the shoot was because the insurance assistant didn't inform me until the DAY BEFORE our shoot that our insurance certificates had expired. This is completely unnacceptable and our company will never shoot in LA again. I'm giving them two stars instead of one because our film coordinator was very accomodating and willing to work with us. read more

When my coproducer first started the application process for FilmLA she read on their website that there is a charge for notices being made but we had the option to do it ourselves. Notices would only be posted on our behalf if requested is what we understood. There was no mention of a charge for that. After calling FilmLA my coproducer spoke with Tara. Expecting a $660 application fee plus maybe a fire department fee I was handed a $1075 invoice when I went in. Throughout weeks of speaking with Tara she never once mentioned the $330 charge that would be added to our fees for notices being posted. At the office I asked to speak to Tara and she came out. I had never met or spoken to her before. Instead of being pleasant like Matt and the other people I met in that office that afternoon she was rude and gave me so much attitude when I was just trying to understand the situation. I told her I had not been handling the permit and was just trying to see why I'm being shown an invoice that does not match what my coproducer told me it would cost. "You can't post the notices yourself. That's not even something we offer so that's not even a conversation that would have taken place." I called my coproducer to explain the situation. When she called Tara, midway through explaining things Tara hung up on her. Either way I paid the invoice in full. It was already 5pm at the time. As a result I was told I would receive my permit via email first thing in the morning. I did not receive anything. Two days later the fire marshall showed up on set for a routine check up. He asked to see our film permit. Both my coproducer and I tried to find it without any luck. As it was a weekend we left a message for FilmLA on their after hours line. The lady who called back was very nice. She looked up our file and said, "Oh it was never sent out to you! I'll send it now." This was my first time working with FilmLA and will not ever do business with that associate again. Not only was she inappropriate in her attitude, she did not complete the only job she had left to do; send us the film permit that we paid for. read more

Horrible experience with FilmLA! Our coordinator was extremely rude, condescending and unprofessional even when we tried to be. The corporation is run by millennials of the worst kind and only exists to make a profit. Film production companies are all shooting elsewhere - Atlanta, Las Vegas, etc. these days! WHY? LA has become the WORST and most difficult city to film in. read more

Do you know why people are no longer filming in Los Angeles? Because these assholes think they can do whatever they want. We have no problem taking our business to a sound stage, where they gladly take our money and bend over backwards to get our project started. The people who work at this office are complete morons. The phone server is flawed, and who ever designed the routing table for their network telephones should be shot. What does it mean when their phone server doesn't work? Take a wild guess. It means they don't give a shit about their clients. It's tragic, because sooner or later your contract with the City of LA will disappear, as new companies that will treat their clients well will replace you. read more

I can truly say it was an easy experience. The requirements are clear on the website and with your production coordinator. I was impressed because I read that pulling a permit in LA can be a nightmare. After going through the process, I can tell you it's not. And I realize how it could turn out to be a nightmare if you A. Don't have the money to pay the fees involved and feel like you are being "bled" dry. Get some funding. Don't try to broke-dick your film making process. It will show. To the guy who called 625 "big bucks" in his review: You should not being attempting a film with no cash. If you want a break, take your ass to film school for the student discounts. Nothing is free. Not even your entitled attitude. And what's up with the use of the word "terse". Really? In two reviews? I find it suspect. Nothing says "I am a dork" better than use of the word "Terse". Doesn't "terse" actually translate to "please bully me" in latin? ANyway.... B. Can't get your shit together because the requirements are so simple, a kindergartner could understand them. Knowing the municipalities and the requirements is what they do - and they relay that information to you. All you have to do is comply. C. Are an asshole out of towner from a big city like Manhattan and get butt-hurt because you are actually required to do certain things in Los Angeles. To the dude who was actually that same asshole and gave them a negative review - F*ck off and film your shitty film in New York if you don't like it. All in all, a fantastic experience. Tips to remember for a better experience: Nothing is free. Don't expect it will be. 2. Have someone pulling the permit who can comprehend the english language. 3. Nice people get help from nice people. Assholes get bled. legitimately. Thank you, FilmLA. Your professionalism and knowledge made all the difference. read more

Gotta be the busiest permit office ever and they are still tentative, thorough, and patient. Their team is top notch and friendly and their offices are really awesome. Ive noticed a tangible improvement over the years in their process and efficiency. If you are starting out or its your first time, just dive in and get acclamated they're there to help your vision come to life not shut it down and thats the attitude you want on a production all around. read more

FilmLA - Cool offices with AC maybe ill hang a few minutes lol - Video/Film Production Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Despite the negative reviews I heard from 3rd parties I have to insist that FilmLA is by far one of the most efficient and organized establishments I've dealt with. It helps that they have someone as friendly and sharp as Daniel (did I spell that right?) receiving people. Plus, Virginia assisted me and helped my production run smoothly from beginning to end when it came to permits. So yeah, I can safely say that not only is FilmLA an efficient and convenient organization for permits, but dealing with them was also an invaluable learning experience. Seriously, don't be afraid to ask for help or info. You won't be disappointed or jipped! Whatever you pay for permits as an indie producer will be paid for tenfold if you maintain contact and ask for advice. I've never been left hanging so far! read more

I've been a fellow at the AFI Conservatory since August 2013, I've produced 7 productions since then, all of which have required filming permits. Angel Miranda has always been super helpful and if there have been any problems, there's always been a solution. I can't more than applaud FilmLA and especially Angel, I know I can count on him/them when it's time to get my permit and again it's great to know that any problems big or small can ALWAYS be solved. THANK YOU! read more

Really cool looking office, I'm sure it's gotta be fun working there but parking is a little tricky if you're a customer. Find a meter parking & Film LA is on the 12th floor. Super cool building as well with a rad mural in the lobby! I rate 4 stars only because the wait can be a little long & you can only pay a permit in cash or check. Maybe it's just the city rules. Either way really cool staff! read more

I have literally produced projects all over the world, and Film L.A. has the single most difficult, archaic permitting process I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. Credit card payments? Ha! Think again. You have to take a cashier's check, in person, to pick up your permit. Emailed permit? Nope, again, you have to go in person to pick it up. Lower fees for smaller shoots? Nope. You'll be paying the same fee for a 5-person crew shooting a corporate video with a $10K budget as Warner Brothers pays for a 50-person crew and a $10-million budget. Get your permit ahead of time? Nope, you have to pick it up the day before your shoot, so yeah, now you need to hire an additional body to pick up a permit on the same day that you're doing final prep and could use that body for more important things, you know, like gear pickups. This place is horrible, the process is horrible, the rules are horrible, and the entire experience is horrible. And they really wonder why production companies are fleeing L.A. in droves? Come on. New York film permits? Free. Wanna shoot in Central Park? Free. By contrast, wanna shoot at your little neighborhood park in L.A.? $1,200. Wait, you need parking for your trucks? Add $200. But your crew can't park there! Want crew parking? Find a lot, permit the lot, and pay for the lot. $500. Chicago film permits? $25. Wanna shoot a driving scene in Chicago? Cool, you don't need cops or rolling road blocks as long as you're not blocking traffic. Wanna shoot a driving scene in L.A.? Send maps, diagrams, pictures, your first-born's right thumb, and hire 6 off-duty cops and their motorcycles for $5K. Ugh. Done with this place. L.A. is about to lose another production company. I'm thinking somewhere where people can actually afford to live. Austin, anyone? read more

I've been on hold with them even if "my call is very important" to them for ten minutes. These people are out of control, mean, and uncaring about the actual residents of the area. Where's the customer service. There is none. read more

I had the worst experience with Film LA. I don't even want to film anything in LA ever again if it means having to work with any of these people. They were not helpful at all, they were misleading, and I don't even think they knew what was going on with our permit. Seriously, film in another state, because they don't deserve anyone's business. read more

Why are they so rude? I waited an hour for a permit I already paid for. The lady gave me a hard time, was unpleasant, and spoke in a terse manner. read more

Yes, obtaining a permit is no easy task, and there's quite a few hurdles to jump through, however I highly recommend working with Ramona. She is super helpful, very prompt with responses, knowledgable, and thorough when relaying information. 10/10 experience working with her! read more

Amazing staff.. Very helpful and very knowledgeable staff.. This team instantly became an asset to our production. Their Field Services Team was personable, professional able to flow with the ever-changing demands of production with ease, grace and humor. This can be a difficult balance when you work on location. read more

As head of production at CalArts I work very closely with Angel and his exceptional team of FilmLA peeps. They are always incredible helpful and go out of their way to make sure our students receive the best service. As a producer myself, I have used FilmLA many times and can only offer the highest praise in what can be a very difficult job at times. read more

Film LA was amazing to work with. They really came through for me on a last minute location change. I really appreciated their professionalism and willingness to help. read more

While waiting several hours for a production to submit the necessary paperwork FilmLa let me hang in their gorgeous location, I remember the older one near DT, they even offered water. While waiting they gave me all sorts of great info for a future production. I was even impatient at the end of the day W/them. Yet they were professional and ready to complete the task at hand! read more

Another sleepless night thanks to FILMLA. It is now 4:13 am and the film crew is banging around to load up their trucks. Permit was to expire at 2:30 am. Too bad for the residents that are now wake due to their activity. read more

I've been making films in Los Angeles for three years and I've been exceptionally impressed with Virginia Quiroz at Film L.A. Virginia has always been very professional, flexible, and interested in the solution. I look to her for permitting expertise each and every time. Thank you Virginia and thank you Film L.A.! read more

I've been at AFI for a year and a half and have shot 7 projects, always with Virginia Quiroz as my coordinator. She's extremely kind, cares about the students, and thrives for us to learn as much as we can about the locations permitting process, which is key for our careers. She's always helpful and is willing to help us find solutions to our problems. I had a very ambitious film and a difficult permit for thesis, and for 2 weeks, Virginia helped me through the way, suggesting ways to make the production more efficient. Thank you, Virginia, for being patient and for finding a way to get us everything we needed! read more

Just shot at some complicated locations and Sophia my FilmL.A Cordinator went out of her way to make things happen to my film production. Sophia you are the greatest. Thanks so much hope you read this post . I hope to have you as my next Cordinator for the next movie project, If I don't I'm sure any of your other colleagues would give me the same treatment. read more

If you are planning to make a movie, FilmLA is for sure a place to go! I've produced movies with locations in many different cities and countries and I always come back to FilmLA. Extremely helpful with securing permits. Especially Virginia whose incredible work make your production happen! She is the best :) read more

I'm a Film Student recently arrived at the US. I was afraid of having to deal with Film L.A. since I have heard "mixed reviews" about their service. I submitted my application online and, from the on, the process was super easy. VIRGINIA QUIROZ was my project coordinator: SHE WAS GREAT! She was very helpful in clarifying all the details that were missing in my application and she went the extra mile to make sure this student project was made, by giving me a permit exemption. Virginia was really amazing. I have to say that my first experience with FILM LA was a very positive one. read more

I tried to get the simplest, most stripped down short movie off the ground (I'm talking a one night shoot, three man crew, two actors and 5 extras) and they were not at all helpful. The scope of my film, materially, was minimal. Small group of people, no noise, no closed streets, stunts, animals, we were shooting in private property (but an exposed parking lot), nothing! The prices to process even the simplest permit start at 625. They were terse and dry. Their whole mantra is "put down the big bucks, you have no other option, and don't you try cross us". It's sad that such a bloodsucking organization stuns the creative growth of this city the way it does. I understand there being some regulations, but the prices they demand from humble filmmakers starting out are just absurd. No wonder the filming business is leaving this city. read more

Be warned, they charge you a film permit APPLICATION fee so even though my permit wasn't successfully completed in time for my shoot I still OWED them $60 for my application! AND they only take CASH, MONEY ORDERS, or CASHIER'S CHECKS. Nothing else. Very inconvenient. read more

These guys might be good for the film industry, but they have no interest in community harmony and have no enforcement abilities. We can thank them for granting three days of filming in our neighborhood and removing all street parking for four blocks with less than two days notice, resulting in 6 resident vehicles being towed. read more

OK... I have to be honest here. I have been a filmmaker based in the Los Angeles area for about ten years now. I used to get frustrated with the old process filmLA had in place for filing and processing permits...that said. I recently dove back into processing some permits for a show and found that they had a new online system. Amazing! It is soooo much easier to process now with their online system. If you knocked them before, try them again. Hope this helps. read more

I would like to thank Virginia Quiroz for her help today. Without what ever magic she pulled I would be screwed, she saved the day!! She's very professional and friendly. If anyone deserves special praise from Film LA its her. read more

This is an indispensable resource for the Angeleno filmmaker. Pre-FilmLA the permitting process was OMG hard- the organization is a one stop shop. They'll talk to all necessary city departments, even police and fire department if you need to close down a street or two. In what other county can you film every location from desert to beach, to new york-like streets of downtown and k-town and then middle America suburbia like the east valley?! LA's where it's at read more

Professional, know their stuff and helpful from start to finish. I always feel like I'm in good hands. Adriana R. and Brian P. deserve gold medals for putting up with me! Eric W. was the best onsite rep from FilmLA I've ever had. These people made me feel like they were looking out for me and guided me through the process every step of the way. Totally appreciate it. read more