THOUSAND OAKS : Film Panel Pushed for East County

In a bid to bring more commercial filming to the county’s east end, Supervisor Maria VanderKolk is pushing for formation of an eastern Ventura County film commission, which would attract filmmakers to the area and make it easier for them once they arrive.

VanderKolk on Tuesday will present a report to the county Board of Supervisors on the need for such a commission. The organization would cover the cities of Moorpark and Thousand Oaks, and some unincorporated county land.

Doug Johnson, a VanderKolk aide, said a commission could help reverse the county’s reputation as a less-than-helpful partner to the film industry.

Johnson said the cities and the county would be expected to contribute between $5,000 and $10,000 to support the commission in its first year. After that, he said, the municipalities should be able to share the permit fees and other proceeds from the new filming activity.

The plan is to hire two or three full-time workers and house them at the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Absent from the plan is the city of Simi Valley, which has been highly successful in attracting film crews.

Director Oliver Stone was in town Friday shooting scenes for his film “Heaven and Earth.” Other productions that have recently been filmed in Simi Valley were “Sneakers,” “Forever Young,” “Nowhere to Run” and “Honey, I Blew Up The Kid.” Television’s “Knots Landing” also has been a regular.