Filming in Los Angeles resumes, despite Covid concern

Los Angeles is hosting productions again, with FilmLA receiving about 14 permit applications a day since June 19 and hundreds of calls from film makers interested in resuming work, despite coronavirus numbers remaining high.

This figure is about 20% of the daily application intake FilmLA would expect under normal conditions.

The non-profit organisation confirmed that the largest television project to apply to shoot on location is Freeform’s Love in the Time of Corona. Others include the soap operas The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless and General Hospital, which have resumed filming on sound stages in Los Angeles. 

FilmLA described the resumption of filming as “cautious and gradual”. Smaller still photo shoots and commercials account for more than half of the incoming applications.

To date, 13 of the 16 city and county jurisdictions served by FilmLA have reopened to filming, as has one of the six school districts served by FilmLA. For a full list, you can visit its COVID-19 Resource Center (www.filmla.com/covid-19).

“Since reopening we’ve seen growing interest from filmmakers and the community about how filming can safely and responsibly resume,” said FilmLA President Paul Audley. “New Health Orders that apply to permit seekers – which are mandates issued by the County Public Health Department with guidance from industry advisors – need to be taken seriously. That will make our work of re-introducing filming to local communities much easier.”

The activity represents a ray of hope for filmmakers, studios and other entertainment companies desperate for content to keep viewers subscribing to their services. It also will be a relief to tens of thousands of entertainment industry workers who have been reliant on emergency funds and unemployment insurance since the pandemic shut down film and TV shoots in March. Production could be halted again, however, if Covid-19 cases continue to rise.