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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Private Property Permits Planned

The City of Lancaster is considering an ordinance requiring permits for filming on private property as a response to an increase in the number of reality television shows being shot there. The city at the edge of the Mojave Desert is one of the few remaining in the state not requiring a permit to film in private buildings or on private land. That will change, should the City Council give its approval, a move expected within the next six months. The permits will cost $150. “It’s not going to stop production,” said Antelope Valley Film Commission Executive Director Pauline East. “It’s not going to interfere with our film friendliness.” The move is a response by the city to many reality television shows filming in private homes. East said she would find out about the filming after it wrapped up. Lack of permits make it a challenge for police and fire officials to know about filming taking place within the city. Both agencies will review permit applications. Television or film shoots inside of private homes also make it difficult for the commission to accurately track the amount of filming taking place within city limits. Between July 1 and Dec. 31, the film office knew of 24 television shows filming in the city. For the full 2005/06 fiscal year, 31 shows filmed there. Still photography shoots have declined, with 33 taking place versus 77 for the 2005/06 year. Total projects filming in the city in the seven month period was 143, a drop from the 248 projects filming there in 2005/06. Earlier this year, the city of Palmdale passed an ordinance requiring a permit for film, television and still photography shoots on private property.

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