Bigger Role in Films Sought for Moorpark : Business: A plan is being drafted to draw additional productions to the city’s historic center. The industry is a welcome source of revenue.

With the right lighting and the right angle, Moorpark could be Anytown, U.S.A.--or at least that is what city officials say.

The quaint and historic downtown strip along High Street, with its raised wood walkway and old brick buildings, has attracted a stream of filmmakers to the area over the years. And Moorpark officials are considering a plan to draw even more film productions to the city.

A proposal to market the town aggressively as a potential location for Hollywood productions is being worked out by the city’s Economic Development and Affordable Housing Committee. A complete proposal to market the town may come before the City Council in early April.

“Moorpark offers a lot . . . in a relatively confined area in close proximity to Los Angeles,” said Councilman Pat Hunter, who is part of the committee working on the proposal. Attracting movie makers, television crews and other commercial film productions to come to the city means money, Hunter said. Although the city collects permit fees, the true benefit for the city is the money spent at local shops, restaurants and hotels by the casts and crews involved in the production.

“I can’t really quantify it, but that revenue is welcome no matter how much it is,” Hunter said.

Ventura County has always provided convenient locations for Hollywood productions. From the Westerns of the 1930s to the recent filming of a Patrick Swayze movie in Simi Valley, film companies have taken advantage of the county’s proximity and diversity of locations. Because the county is within commuting distance of major studios, union workers--who normally charge higher rates for location shots--work for their standard fee.

News of film companies fleeing California for cheaper locations pushed the city of Moorpark a year ago to look at its film permit process, Hunter said. Already the city attracts about three movie productions a year.

The council made it easier last fall for film companies to get a permit in the city, he said. A film permit application now costs $100, and the city charges $600 a day to shoot on public streets in the city.

*

Taking a cue from cities like Fillmore and Santa Paula, city officials then started considering aggressive marketing strategies to promote their town to filmmakers.

The proposal now being considered includes developing a brochure that would feature some of the more attractive sites for filming and highlight other amenities. A city staff member would also be assigned part time to handle all film permit requests, Hunter said.

*

Still, some city leaders are unconvinced of the need to spend the roughly $8,000 it would cost for a brochure or spending staff time marketing Moorpark to Hollywood.

“A good location sells itself,” said Councilman Bernardo Perez, who serves on the Economic Development Committee with Hunter. “Maybe we don’t have to do anything more.”

Four years ago, Fillmore set up a film commission and appointed a volunteer film commissioner to market and promote the town. Since then the average number of films shot in the city each year has gone up from three or four to about 20 in 1994, said John McKinnon, Fillmore’s film commissioner.

“It’s worked for us,” he said.

McKinnon said he would welcome Moorpark’s marketing, saying it will only enhance the image of the county and bring more film productions.

“We’ve just been discussing that, and we really don’t feel like we’d be competing,” he said. “We are different. We offer certain locations, and Moorpark offers different kinds of locations.”