Los Angeles slashes filming fee at Griffith Observatory

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(The Center Square) – There's some good news for filmmakers in Los Angeles.

It is now cheaper to film at the famous Griffith Observatory. And the Los Angeles Central Library has reopened for filming for the first time in more than 10 years.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass made the announcement at a press conference outside the Griffith Observatory, where the filming fee has been slashed from $100,000 to $30,000.

Those levels have not been seen since 2008.

“It is a great day in L.A. to be celebrating and promoting our most significant industry, the entertainment industry where we impact the entire world,” said Bass, a longtime Democrat and former congresswoman. “For me, it is also a celebration of signing Executive Directive 11 that directed city departments to deliver on priorities that the entertainment industry has asked City Hall to act on for far too long.”

During those conversations, Bass asked what City Hall could do to help film production inLos Angeles.

“Two of the biggest priorities from the industry were to reduce the filming fees, number one, all around the city, but also here at the Griffith Observatory and to reopen LA’s Central Library to filming,” said Bass. “We have delivered on both.”

The Griffith Observatory has been used for such films as "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955), "The Terminator" (1984), "The Rocketeer" (1991) and "La La Land" (2016). The Los Angeles Central Library is featured in films including 1984’s "Ghostbusters".

“These locations have allowed generations of creatives to tell incredible stories, but for so many aspiring filmmakers and creatives, City Hall has made these sites inaccessible, driving away business, stopping job growth and silencing the beauty of storytelling,” said Bass, who became mayor in 2022. “As mayor, I refuse to allow this culture to continue at City Hall.”

In recent years, an increasing number of films have been produced outside Los Angeles and California. Filmmakers have gone to other places such as Atlanta and the Canadian cities of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Toronto, Ontario, because of tax incentives and lower labor costs.

City Councilmember Traci Park is pleased with the city's efforts to keep productions in Los Angeles. Park told The Center Square that this is exactly the kind of action the city needs.

“Lowering the fees, eliminating barriers, faster permitting - that’s how we keep jobs and cameras rolling in Los Angeles,” said Park. “So if we want jobs here, we have to make it easier to film here.”

Executive Directive 11 includes details such as the Port of Los Angeles reducing the time it takes to review film applications.

By reducing the government-created costs imposed upon movie production in Los Angeles, Wayne Winegarden of Pasadena-based Pacific Research Institute said Mayor Bass is acknowledging that excessive government costs discourage economic activity.

“This lesson applies to other industries beyond Hollywood, too,” Winegarden, a senior business fellow and economist, told The Center Square. “The mayor could ignite an economic boom in the city by consistently applying this insight to the broader business community."

Park said she hears from people in her district who work in the entertainment industry.

Her partner also makes movie trailers and, according to Park, has been impacted by downsizing and job loss.

“I talk to people that work in sound and visual effects, costumes, makeup, stage production, and live events every day, and they are very, very excited about this,” said Park.

And Park has worked with the city and producers of a reboot of "Baywatch," which is relocating to California after shooting elsewhere. The original series was filmed in Los Angeles before moving to Hawaii for its final seasons, and a 2017 "Baywatch" movie starring Dwayne Johnson was filmed in Georgia.

In November, the reboot of the TV series received more than $21 million in tax credits from the California Film Commission. The latest incarnation is scheduled to premiere during the 2026-27 season on Fox.

“Of course, that is a major production, so I speak to constituents that work in all elements of film and TV production and creative economy here in L.A., and they’re all very pleased about this," Park told The Center Square.