Valleywide : Rules Target Visible Sex During Filming

The Los Angeles Film Office has toughened its restrictions on movie productions that involve nudity and sex acts.

Officials with the office said they have revised the conditions that are generally imposed on explicit productions. The conditions now read: “Nudity or sexual activity may not be visible or audible to the general public.”

The restrictions apply to nudity and sexual activity that occurs both indoors and outdoors during the production of a film.

According to Michael Bobenko, vice president of operations for the film office, the previous conditions were vague and less restrictive: “Lewd conduct or offensive behavior may not be visible to the public.”

“We expect that the adult film industry will be more discreet in their activities” as a result of the language changes, Bobenko said Friday. “They certainly have a right to pursue this, but I think they need to keep it out of the view of the public.”

Film officials said the tightened conditions will apply to major movie productions that depict nudity as well as pornographic filming.

Bobenko insisted that the recent controversy over a Studio City home used as a location for an adult film was not the catalyst for the language changes.

“We have been working on this for the past couple of years,” Bobenko said.

He explained that the film office has met with the Los Angeles Police Department and the city attorney’s office in the past month to get their opinions on what the permit condition should say.

Said Tony Lucente, president of the Studio City Residents Assn., called the timing of the changes “an interesting coincidence.”

Association members complained about visible sex and traffic problems allegedly caused by filming at a house on Picturesque Drive.

“This kind of language affords additional protection, which is needed to prevent the kind of situation that occurred in Studio City,” Lucente said.

According to Bobenko, the film office receives two or three complaints a year from Valley residents who are upset about public nudity associated with producing films.

The Valley has been called the country’s “porn capital” because of the number of adult films produced here.