To the editor: Thank you for your powerful account of the exodus of Hollywood film and television workers from Los Angeles due to lack of work.
There are many driving forces behind this devastating crisis. They affect all production hubs, but especially California, with its uncompetitive tax incentives and, in Los Angeles, a filming permit system on location that is notorious for its costs and bureaucratic red tape compared to other jurisdictions.
In charge of these permits is a semi-autonomous non-profit organization called FilmLA. His latest decision in response to the hemorrhaging of film production in Los Angeles is disconcerting.
As filmmakers flee and the industry faces its worst economic crisis in half a century, FilmLA has decided, incomprehensibly, to increase its permit fees starting July 1.
It is often said that the biggest obstacle to filming in the state of California is the state of California. If we ever needed proof of that, we certainly have it in FilmLA's latest salvo of loose weapons.
David Impastato, Los Angeles
..
To the editor: As the film industry retreats in the wake of the pandemic and both screenwriters and actors go on strike, the stark reality is that many creatives are becoming victims. It's very similar to what happens when the auto industry closes its plants, leaving workers in the sector with no one to turn to.
I applaud the three people described in your article for using their ingenuity and new skills to combat the downturn in their fortunes. No one knows when or if production will return to previous levels.
Why wallow in denial when there are new sources of income to be discovered and alternative ways to maintain quality of life?
Judy Seckler, Study City
