Film Set Disruptions

“Scam of Disrupting Movie Sets Is on Rise” (March 15) was unduly slanted toward the interests of production companies and failed to recognize the economic harm and disruption caused by location filming that may warrant payments to individuals and businesses. Although a few individuals deliberately blackmail production companies and may deserve the attention of state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Van Nuys), many of the examples given should not be targeted in legislation.

When a production company takes over a house or street in a neighborhood, it creates significant disruption to daily life and the production company should be responsible for harm it causes. If a gardener arrives to care for a nearby yard and cannot work because of the noise the yard equipment creates, the gardener loses income. It is hardly a scam or evidence of greed for the gardener to ask compensation for lost wages. If a production company asks neighbors not use their yards during filming or to give up access to their property, it is hardly harassment to ask for compensation for loss of use their property.

Similar problems occur for businesses. When production closes a street or disrupts the flow of traffic in a business district, businesses lose revenue. In most cases this goes uncompensated.

Further, the film commission’s research overstates the problem and mixes the difficulties of actual extortion and assaults on crews with requests for compensation for putting up with disruption and economic harm. Indeed, 90% of those surveyed did not report any intentional disruption. Most of the intentional disruption reported can be handled with current laws.

ROBERT G. PICARD Ph.D.

Chair, Department of Communications

Cal State Fullerton

As a writer in the advertising industry, I’ve had numerous opportunities to work with and observe film crews at commercial shoots in the Los Angeles area. And as a homeowner in Van Nuys who lives a block or so from what The Times has previously reported as the most heavily filmed street in L.A. County (Orion Avenue), I’ve had ample opportunity to observe even more film crews from the other side of the camera, as it were.

Yes, I’ve seen people yell and shout and start up their lawn mowers trying to disrupt filming. But far, far more often I’ve witnessed production crews trample lawns, break limbs off of trees, block driveways, and make noise from very early in the morning to very late at night.

Homeowners or merchants are not consulted when a filming permit is issued, unless their home/business is directly recognizable. Once a crew shows up, they have little recourse, and many members of the film industry often appear to be interested only in “getting their shot,” no matter what the cost in neighborhood good will, then vanishing to the next location.

MARK G. LINDEMANN

Van Nuys