Santa Monica : Film Crews to Pay User Fee

Motion picture and television production companies wanting to use the Santa Monica Airport as a location for filming must pay a user fee of $600 per day, the City Council decided last week.

Portions of about 20 films are shot at the airport each year and production companies now pay the General Services Department $400 for a permit, the city staff said. The $600 user fee will be in addition to the permit fee.

Airport officials said the additional fee was needed to help defray costs of airport staff who oversee the facilities used by the film companies. The Van Nuys, Hawthorne and Torrance airports charge user fees and permit fees, the city staff said.