Melrose

About Melrose

Most people know of Melrose Avenue as a shopping district in Los Angeles that also houses elements of fine dining (with a vast selection of some of the finest restaurants in the city) and entertainment. The characteristic Los Angeles vibes are seen everywhere, and the neighborhood and its residents are in no way strangers to the big screen — Melrose has enjoyed plenty of screen time in Hollywood. Some of the most iconic titles made here include Castle (Series), Freaks and Geeks (Series), Showgirls, The Best Years of Our Lives, Zapped, Space Force (Series), Daredevil, and Overboard. Melrose is thus an ideal filming location with several indoor and outdoor options.

The Melrose District is by far the most famous segment of this area, and it sits on the west end, while the neighborhood is also bordered by the famous Fairfax High School (which sits in Fairfax and marks the boundary of the same). Paramount Pictures is another important landmark in the area, coincidentally related to the cinematic industry. The warm California climate, coupled with Melrose's overall theme and atmosphere, presents a unique and charming package for film productions, and the incentives offered by the California Film Commission are on top of that. But you need to understand the filming guidelines in Melrose first to avoid any troubles later on. Rest assured, the rules and regulations are not strict at all!

As always, Giggster is committed to helping you find the most premium and exclusive filming locations in Melrose to help you get that spark you need for your script!

Do I Need a Filming Permit in Melrose?

You’ll mostly be in touch with the FilmLA staff for all your film permit-related matters. FilmLA operates under the canopy of the California Film Commission, which only offers permits for state-owned properties; filming permits in Melrose are dealt with more or less exclusively by FilmLA. However, you can still qualify for the film production incentive programs offered by the California Film Commission.

When it comes to getting your permit, things couldn’t be easier! FilmLA has an online portal for all permit applications, meaning that you can fill in all the relevant information step by step and submit your application without having to visit the office in person. However, if you do wish to visit, the address is the County of Los Angeles, 6255 W. Sunset Blvd. 12th Floor, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA.

Another perk of applying with FilmLA is that they’ll take care of liaison with the local authorities, including the police and fire safety departments. Plus, they’ll also help you notify the residents if your filming activities will affect them, and you’re obliged to send a notification. Other than that, you can depend on them for technical support, online resources for your needs, and liaising with other concerned authorities. In short, the film permit application fee is worth every penny, and if you couple this with the filming expense refund incentives offered by the California Commission, you won’t have much to worry about.

Also note that for privately owned properties, you'll have to get written permission from the site owner to be able to film there legally, but a FilmLA permit will still be needed if you’re using any public property, such as public parking or exclusive access to an area.

Pyrotechnics Permit

this is only applicable in cases where filming requires the use of fire-based special effects, gunfire sounds, explosions, and so on.

Animal Control Permit

this is needed when an animal is part of the film production and needs to be restrained or monitored to avoid damage to property or any bodily injury to a passerby.

Aircraft Usage Permit

if any low-flying aircraft are part of the film production, you'll have to get both the consent of the affected residents and special permission from the concerned authorities via FilmLA.

Drone Filming Permit

this again is issued only in special cases, and you need to make sure that your drone does not violate any resident’s privacy.

Student/Non-Commercial Filming Permit

this permit works pretty much the same way as a general/regular filming permit, except that it costs less.

Permit Management in Melrose

FilmLA

What Insurance Do I Need in Melrose?

Production insurance is a basic necessity for any film permit applicant in Melrose, as is the case anywhere else. Insurance coverage allows film production to compensate any victim in case of an accident resulting from their film production activities. The affectee does not necessarily have to be a film production crew member; it can be anyone, even an innocent passerby who accidentally slips and falls. The city administration is thus exempt from any blame in such a case — if an accident happens due to your filming activities, you'll solely be responsible for compensating the victims.

Thus, the production insurance requirements in Melrose exist to safeguard the city management if the worst happens, while there can be no generalization here since most of this depends on the nature of the filming activity.

general liability insurance coverage

which must amount to $1 million at least

Automobile liability insurance coverage

$1 million per incident becomes mandatory when any vehicles are involved, even if not owned

Aviation liability insurance coverage

the shoot; these policies have a bottom limit of $5 million

UAS insurance coverage

additional $2 million

Product liability insurance coverage

$1 million is needed if any food is to be served

alcohol is involved

$1 million in liquor liability

If you can’t meet any of these requirements, you’ll need to explain in writing why you can’t meet the requirement to the Office. They will determine if the shoot can go ahead without the necessary insurance.

Note that these requirements are minimum requirements. Larger and more complex shoots may require additional insurance which will be determined by the Office.

What Kind of Filming Locations Are Available in Melrose?

This pretty much wraps up most of the filming laws in Melrose. Now let’s take a look at some of the many filming locations available in Melrose — and here, you’ve got several premium indoor and outdoor choices. From the top of the list, we have the best of the best — the Modern New Mansion, which has a unique and luxurious ambiance and a gym and theatre. Similarly impressive is the Hancock Park Terrace Condo if you want to incorporate the view of the nearby park in your shots and have a love for heights.

The Industry Loft is another excellent option if you’re going for something that offers a homely feeling but with a themed setup. Speaking of heights and lofts, why not try the High Design Rooftop Bar — this place has a magic of its own, which appears to be at its finest during the nighttime when you get to enjoy panoramic displays of the twinkling cityscape. Speaking of restaurants, there are several in the area, and most of them can turn out to be the perfect filming destinations for you — you’ve got The Cat & Fiddle Pub & Restaurant; Petit Trois — a French restaurant; Osteria Mozza; Meteroa; Marino — an Italian restaurant; Providence; Inti Peruvian; and Snake Pit Alehouse, among others. The options are limitless!

Other themed locations include the iconic Golden Apple Comics, 99 Barbershop, and Wasteland, which is a famous local second-hand store. The options are by no means limited; you have both indoor and outdoor locations — the avenue itself is a scenic place if you're looking for busy yet scenic outdoor locations. Giggster will help you pick the best location wherever you go. You can count on us to help you pick someplace that best resonates with your script!

Special Requirements in Melrose

Filming At Fairfax High School

The neighboring Fairfax High School is an iconic location to film your next project. You can reach out to their administration and file your application for filming on the school premises plus a general liability insurance coverage of $1 million. Once you get approval from the school administration, report it to FilmLA, get your permit, and you’re good to go. For exclusive access to the school premises, it would be best to schedule your shoot during vacations/holidays.

Filming At Paramount Pictures Studio Tour

The Paramount Pictures Studio Tour is one of the most notable local landmarks and attracts people in the thousands. Though filming is not their primary agenda (ironic, huh?), you can still try to reach out to them and ask for special permission. If allowed, you can film here after getting a FilmLA permit.

Filming At Nearby State Parks

You might also want to film the wilderness nearby, especially in the Los Angeles State Historic Park, Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, or Topanga State Park. If so, you’ll have to reach out to the California Parks and Recreation Department, get their approval, then get a permit from the California Film Commission, hire a monitor from the park’s staff, and get started.

Special Permission Requirements

Certain elements in the film production, if they are part of your script, are only allowed once you notify the LAPD in advance. These include:

Use of helicopters/aircraft

Use of explosives, fire-based special effects, pyrotechnics, etc.

Use of gunfire (or such sound effects)

Production Crew Meal Service Regulation

This rule is not made up, it’s real: you can’t serve food to your production crew in public. It has to be away from public view.

Regulations Concerning Generator Noise

While cutting down noise levels is generally recommended everywhere, in Melrose, you need to be especially careful about noisy generators as this is against the local filming laws. Any sudden/loud sounds, if they are a part of the script (explosions), must be reported to the LAPD in advance.

Filming Beyond The Regular Hours

Usually, you have between 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM for all film production activities, but you can get a time extension following a positive resident survey.

What Does it Cost to Film in Melrose?

The site rentals and filming expenses describe the monetary considerations for you, but you’ll also have to consider the assorted fees and costs. FilmLA will charge for its services, including the fee for the permit application itself, if you need assistance from the local departments, you’ll have to compensate their officials for their time via FilmLA, as per the filming regulations in Melrose. While the fees are subject to variation depending on the exact nature of your script, it is still crucial to take note of the baseline costs and fees in this regard. Here are the fees that FilmLA will charge directly:

For your permit application, you’ll need to pay a fee

$863

The permit rider fee

$28

The permit notification fee

$215

You’ll also have to pay a production shoot monitor fee

$41

Student filming projects are subject to much lower rates and are usually given permits

$33

Additional Fees

If you're seeking assistance from officials from local departments, you'll have to add up your expenses to pay for their time, via FilmLA, as follows:

Firefighters on set

$107 hourly

With a minimum 4 hours of duty

On-set fire safety inspection

$103 per hour

Usually takes about two hours minimum

Police officers on standby

$88.71 per hour

Usually costs upwards, with 4 hours minimum duty time

City official

An additional 15% of all the aforementioned fees

While these fees may seem excessive to some, you can always count on the California Film Commission's incentive programs to secure partial refunds (if you qualify). You also get value for your money, and doing things otherwise can land you in troubled waters.

Geographical Jurisdiction of Melrose?

The Melrose area is a bit hard to mark clearly on the map for most, but the city has defined clear boundaries – you need to know this, since the filming laws in Melrose only apply in the Melrose area. The starting point of Melrose Avenue is Santa Monica Boulevard, where it borders West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. It moves southwards to Santa Monica Boulevard and northwards to Beverly Boulevard. The Avenue continues straight until coming to a stop at Lucile Avenue, Silver Lake. Another clear boundary for the area is the famous Fairfax High School which marks the boundary of the neighborhood of the same name.

Outreach in Melrose

FilmLA only requires you to notify the affected community (when shooting in public or when demanding access to public spaces for your shooting activity) two days before the scheduled film shoot. They’ll take care of that themselves, so you don’t have much to worry about when it comes to notifying the local community as per the Melrose filming laws. However, in cases where the residents may be affected more than usual by your shooting - let’s say if you plan on shooting in the same place for more than three consecutive days — or if you need exclusive access to certain rights of way, or if your shooting hours are going to exceed the allowed limit, you’ll need to conduct a survey first. Here, FilmLA can help you out with technical assistance.

Community Management in Melrose

Generally, people in Melrose respect their privacy and peace of mind and don't tolerate excessive disturbance. Not to say that they're not cooperative — you need to restrict the level of disturbance. The nearby Beverly Hills is home to some of the most affluent people in the region — you'd want to be very careful around them. But overall, if you don't plan on going for anything that may be construed as a disturbance by the locals, and as per the filming regulations in Melrose, you should be fine.

Conclusion

Melrose, with its abundance of dining spaces, stores, and busy sidewalks, can be the ideal destination for filming the outdoors of Los Angeles. The area is also packed with impressive private interiors, including those with excellent views of the cityscape. No matter what it is you need from a busy area of Los Angeles, you can get it from Melrose, and not to mention that this was also true for the many film productions that have already made their mark on cinematic history while filming here. The Castle series is an excellent example of how directors can make the best out of the unique atmosphere and feeling offered by Melrose.

Plus, we’ve already discussed how the filming guidelines in Melrose are rather relaxed and that you won’t have to worry about much if you stick to the rules. You can also expect cooperation from the local residents as long as you don’t cause excessive disturbance. Since the area is close to Hollywood, people have a good understanding of the needs of filming crews and thus will be supportive in that way too. However, most of all, you can always count on the assistance of FilmLA, which promises not just a film permit for your production efforts (if you fulfill all the needs) but also technical support to keep the filming going on smoothly – they’ll also liaise with the local police and fire departments if your script needs it. Lastly, you’ve got incentives from the California Film Commission to look forward to as they offer much-needed partial refunds and site-rental-free access to state-owned properties.

City Guide Filming in Melrose, CA

Production Permit Fees

Minimum Insurance

Additional Permits

Discounts