Filming
Filming
Before filming in the City of La Verne please contact the Administration Department to discuss the details of your project at 909-596-8726. A filming packet may be obtained Filming Packet (PDF), or by contacting City Hall.
Below is some information regarding filming in La Verne. For a complete list please look in the City of La Verne Municipal Code in Title 5, Chapter 5.57.
No person shall engage in the business or activity of filming, videotaping, or producing motion pictures on motion picture film or electronic videotape for public exhibition as motion pictures or for television without first applying for and receiving a permit therefor from the city council as provided in this chapter.
5.57.040 Exceptions.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to:
- The filming or videotaping solely for private or family use;
- The filming or videotaping for use in a criminal investigation, civil proceeding, and emergencies such as fires, floods, police actions, and the like;
- The filming or videotaping for news purposes;
- The filming or videotaping of community access programs for cable television systems franchised within the city;
- The filming or videotaping for the purposes of a school project;
- Any other activity deemed in the public interest by the city manager or his designee.
5.57.050 Permit-Application.
Any person desiring to obtain a permit to engage in the business or activity of filming or videotaping shall file a written, signed application with the city clerk on or before five p.m. on the Monday preceding the next regular city council meeting. Before a permit is considered by the city council, the city manager or his designee shall review the application and determine that such filming or videotaping will not unreasonably interfere with the public health and safety or unreasonably endanger any property. Written authorization, as specified in this chapter, from each owner of the property on which filming will occur shall be attached to the permit application. (Ord. 885 § 1 (part), 1996)
5.57.060 Permit-Fee.
The permit fee shall be established by the resolution of the city council. The city manager, or his designee, shall prepare on an annual basis, to be revised as needed, a city services fee schedule, including fees for the use of city-owned buildings and facilities, which shall set forth daily charges of all city services utilized in connection with such filming or videotaping. The permit fee and minimum service fees shall be collected before the approved permit is issued. The permittee will be billed by the city for any services used over the minimum. Payment of said fees is due within ten days of billing.
5.57.070 Permit-Conditions.
Upon review of the permit application/proposed filming agreement, the city council shall determine if special circumstances exist and may impose conditions to the issuance of the permit. Special conditions include:
A. Noise. Filming activities which produce unusual noises such as gunfire, pyrotechnics, explosions, sirens, public address systems, bull horns, construction, or other loud noises, maybe regulated to mitigate the effects of the activity. An additional permit shall be required for the use of explosives or pyrotechnics (see Section 5.57.080). An acoustical consultant may be employed at the applicant’s expense to develop a mitigation plan to minimize any noise impacts upon the city.
B. Aircraft. Aerial filming and/or helicopter landings are not permitted without explicit written permission from the city council, in addition to any permits required from the Federal Aviation Administration. This written authorization shall be filed with the application.
C. Streets and Sidewalks. Filming that requires street closures, sidewalk closures, or takes place in any public right-of-way, including stringing cables across public sidewalks, will require authorization from the public works director and a public works permit. The request for such authorization shall be submitted at least five days in advance of such activities taking place.
D. Public Safety Personnel and Services. Police and/or fire personnel requirements shall be determined by those departments. The expense for the required personnel will be collected from the permittee according to the city services fee schedule. Public safety employees shall enforce all city regulations and are employees of the city, not the permittee. Arrangements for police services for traffic control shall be made no later than five days in advance.
At the discretion of the fire chief, fire department personnel may be assigned to act as fire safety officers. Prior to filming and during filming the fire safety officer shall be responsible for preventing and abating fire and other safety hazards on the set. Prior to filming and during any filming, the fire safety officer shall also coordinate any filming activities which include the use of pyrotechnics and/or explosives requiring a separate fire department permit.
E. Assigned Personnel. The permittee shall designate as a single source, one contact person to be at the premises wherever and whenever filming is taking place. The contact person shall be readily available by pager or cellular phone. At the city council’s discretion, an on-site city liaison may be assigned to be present during filming. The hourly cost of said liaison will be paid for by the permittee. (Ord. 885 § 1 (part), 1996)
5.57.080 Permit—Pyrotechnics and explosives.
Filming activities which include the use of pyrotechnics and/or explosives require a separate permit issued by the fire department. The permit application for the use of pyrotechnics and/or explosives shall be filed with the fire marshal no less than five days prior to the date said activities are scheduled to commence. (Ord. 885 § 1 (part), 1996)
5.57.090 Permit—Parking plan required.
A parking plan for all vehicles associated with the production, including equipment vans, trailers, personal transportation for staff members, and catering trucks must be submitted with the permit application. At a minimum, the parking plan shall provide for mitigation measures for all vehicles associated with the production. The plan should detail the location, size of spaces, ingresses and egresses, lighting, and any and all temporary improvements necessary to implement the plan. The city council shall determine whether or not the parking plan is sufficient to mitigate parking impacts upon the city and fully accommodate all vehicles relative to the production. (Ord. 885 § 1 (part), 1996)
5.57.100 Notification.
It shall be the responsibility of the permittee to provide notification a minimum of forty-eight hours in advance to the following affected persons. A diagram, map, or list of residences and/or businesses notified shall be submitted and approved by the city manager or his designee.
A. If filming in a residential area, either indoors or outdoors, notification shall be given to all residents and businesses located within three hundred feet of the filming location.
B. If filming in a commercial area or in the downtown area referred to as Lordsburg, written notification including a parking plan shall be provided to all businesses and residents within three hundred feet.
C. If filming involves pyrotechnics, explosives, or large assembly, written notification requirements may be expanded to include all residents and businesses within one thousand feet of the filming location.
D. Notification shall also be advertised in the local newspapers. (Ord. 885 § 1 (part), 1996
5.57.110 Hours of operation.
A. A complete filming schedule listing a complete detail of the hours of filming activities shall be submitted with the application.
B. No filming or videotaping, set-up, staging, dismantling, or other operations shall take place prior to seven a.m. or after seven p.m. without the express written authorization of the city council, upon recommendation of the city manager. Such authorization shall be filed with the application.
C. In the event that the permittee does not strictly adhere to the authorized hours of operation, the city manager or his designee may impose a financial penalty to be collected from the permittee’s deposit, suspend or revoke the permit. The permittee may appeal such a decision utilizing the process set forth in Section 5.57.190. (Ord. 885 § 1 (part), 1996)