LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Supervisors Back Plan to Consolidate Film Offices

The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tentatively approved a move to consolidate county and city film permit operations into a new organization that officials hope will streamline procedures and help keep the lucrative film business in Los Angeles.

The new, jointly operated film office would be called the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation and conceivably would reduce the amount of red tape and duplication of paperwork that producers must go through to get permission to film on the streets of Los Angeles city and county.

The new film office would be governed by a 45-member board that would include all five county supervisors, the mayor of Los Angeles, the City Council, representatives of the film industry and other concerned groups. The Los Angeles City Council approved the merger earlier this month.

According to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the film industry contributes an estimated $15 billion to the local economy. But in recent years, Los Angeles has lost some ground as other cities and states have sought to capture a share of productions filmed on location.