County Has Stars in Its Eyes, Movies on Its Mind

The Board of Supervisors is trying to lure the Hollywood spotlight to Orange County by eliminating some of the bureaucratic barriers for movie companies which have so far described the area as the “Siberia of film making.”

“Our process is so detrimental that it’s cheaper for the industry to go outside of California than it is to stay here and wait for a permit,” said Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, who introduced the streamlining ideas to the board Tuesday.

The supervisors voted unanimously to have the county staff prepare an ordinance that would reduce the red tape presently required for permits to shoot movies in Orange County.

Vasquez described movie making as a lucrative, nonpolluting industry that would also bring attention to some of Orange County’s most attractive areas. He said movie companies usually spend about $35,000 a day on local businesses like restaurants, lumber yards and rental agencies, as well as temporary employees and county fees.

“There is no reason that companies should be going to Marina del Rey or Playa del Rey instead of Dana Point and Laguna Niguel,” Vasquez said. “What this does for Orange County is that it puts us back on the Hollywood map as a friendly location for motion picture production and it gives us the opportunity to stimulate our economy.”

Vasquez said the time needed to acquire a movie shooting permit in Orange County varies depending on the location.

As an example of how the process might be streamlined, Vasquez said some counties only require a verbal approval from the California Highway Patrol before they issue some permits while Orange County requires a written notice.

The cry for more attention to the movie industry came recently from the governor’s office which said nearly $1 billion in production is leaving California every year. Gov. George Deukmejian subsequently established the California Film Commission to help each county attract more film industry activity.

“The governor’s office . . . has recognized that each of our photogenic counties, including Orange County, needs to engage in a wide-ranging program to lure film productions back home,” Vasquez said. “With them will come the jobs and economic prosperity that affect many outside the film industry.”

If the steps taken by the county Tuesday prove positive, Vasquez said, the county might someday establish a full-time office to encourage film making in Orange County.

That was done in San Diego, he said. where the county spent about $350,000 to staff a full-time office and subsequently attracted about $7 million in movie company revenues.