City Guide Filming in North Park, San Diego, CA
Production Permit Fees
- Film Permit Fee - $0
Minimum Insurance
- General Liability Coverage - $1,000,000 per occurrence
- Aggregate - $2,000,000
Additional Permits
Discounts
About North Park, San Diego
While North Park may not incorporate any of San Diego's extensive coastline, it's still a neighborhood of the city with plenty to shout about. It's a buzzing locality with a young and what can only be described as a hip vibe with a style all of its own.
The folks living in North Park may have a modern outlook on life, but the neighborhood's buildings don't. There are plenty of structures that date back to the early 20th century, especially in the Dryden Historic District, which is crammed with California bungalows and Spanish Colonial homes.
Sadly, as is often the case with film credits, the neighborhood of North Park is often generally mentioned as San Diego rather than a filming location in its own right. It's certainly made plenty of appearances on the big screen through the years, though.
As far back as the 1940s, when film was still being screened in black and white, North Park showed its face in Citizen Kane along with San Diego's Balboa Park, which borders the neighborhood. In all honesty, North Park hasn't changed much superficially since then, so rewatch one of the greatest classic movies of all time, and you'll get a real feel for how camera-friendly the place is. The X Files production team has visited North Park on several occasions too.
North Park is a very distinctive neighborhood to use as a filming location and one that will definitely add a distinctive character to any shots you take there, especially if you need something a little avant-garde. Before you lose yourself in the bars and cafes on 30th Street, check out the filming locations available in North Park on Giggster. That will give you a general idea of what there is and what there isn't.
As North Park is part of the city of San Diego, you'll need to be aware of the filming regulations set in place there for production companies. Follow them to the letter, and your project will be smooth sailing from the start.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in North Park, San Diego?
Production companies planning on filming in the North Park neighborhood of the City of San Diego are required to obtain prior authorization before they can start filming if filming takes place on public or private property and the following apply:
The production involves road closures.
The production involves the need for traffic control.
The production requires no parking signs to be posted.
You will be using generators on the public right of way.
The production involves special effects, pyrotechnics, or open flames of any description.
The production calls for the use of fake weapons, including tasers.
The production involves the use of artificial ammunition.
Any weapons like knives or swords will be used.
The scenes being shot involve chase sequences, or mock robberies, or abductions.
If your film shoot involves any of the above, you may be required to undergo safety inspections from the police or fire department. The cost of inspections or attendance by city personnel is billed to the production company.
You will not be required to complete and submit a Filming Registration Form if filming on private property and none of the above apply.
Should your production be a simple one that doesn't involve any specific activities that can be classed as a possible risk to the public, your film permit will take approximately three working days to process.
More complex productions should submit their film registration form as far in advance of the shoot as possible but definitely no later than seven working days before the estimated shoot date.
Before you submit your filming registration form, make sure you've completed the form correctly, all details are legible, and you have the correct accompanying documentation. If it's not done correctly, your submission will be classed as unacceptable.
The above regulations apply equally to normal production companies as well as to student and non-profit organization production companies.
Permit Management in North Park, San Diego
San Diego Office of Film & Special Events
All filming permits for North Park, whether filming is taking place on private or public property, are managed by the San Diego Office of Film & Special Events. The only exception is if you plan to film in one of the neighborhood parks. You can find out more about filming in San Diego parks in the special requirements section of this article.
The San Diego Office of Film & Special Events is a busy city department that manages hundreds of events throughout the year. They are very filmmaker-friendly, but have serious time constraints where permitting processing is concerned, so don't leave your submission to the last minute, or you may be disappointed.
The San Diego Office of Film & Special Events is more than happy to schedule pre-production meetings to facilitate the issuing of permits, especially if your production is a complex one. If you would like to attend what they term a roundtable meeting to discuss your project before submitting your filming registration form, contact the department well in advance, and they will arrange a suitable date.
What Insurance Do I Need in North Park, San Diego?
The San Diego Office of Film & Special Events has set minimum requirements for general liability insurance coverage for production companies wanting to film in the city. They also apply to North Park.
Any production that is required to submit a filming registration form must have:
Minimum Liability Insurance
General Liability Coverage - $1,000,000 per occurrence
Aggregate - $2,000,000
These are minimum requirements, but should your production be a complex one or involve any dangerous stunts or special effects, you may be required to be in the possession of higher coverage. It's advisable to consult with the San Diego Office of Film & Special Events on the specific requirements for your project before purchasing any coverage.
All insurance certificates must include an endorsement stating the City of San Diego, its employees, officers, and agents as additionally insured. Using the correct wording for the endorsement is imperative, so always check with the San Diego Office of Film & Special Events before your broker prints your certificate.
NB: Even if your production falls into the category that doesn't require you to submit a filming registration form, it's a good idea to consider having general liability insurance coverage anyway. Accidents or property damage can happen unexpectedly, and they're not things you'll want to be spending your film budget on.
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 North Park, San Diego?
While it may not be SoHo in New York, the Ray Street Art District in North Park does have a seriously artsy atmosphere. It's a Bohemian area of the neighborhood with a surplus of art galleries and bars that really wakes up after dark. During the day, it's quieter so getting some street shots in with the murals in the background is a lot easier.
One of the more popular spots for filming in North Park is the Dryden Historic District. The housing there lends an air of bygone America when skyscrapers were a thing of the future, and everyone had a lawn to mow on weekends.
When you need somewhere a little wilder that's still under nature's control, take a look at Switzer Canyon in the south of the neighborhood. It's a protected wildlife zone where there are unpaved trails winding through the sagebrush. There are also trails from there to Juniper Canyon, which is just outside the boundaries of North Park.
Spanish Colonial and California-style bungalows ready to be used as filming locations are plentiful in North Park, and each one has something different about it. You'll find beautiful Spanish hacienda-style homes with stone-clad courtyards and spouting fountains and jacuzzis on the patios. There are also some that are more modern and perfect for setting the scene for any time from the 70s to the 90s.
There are some unique business premises for hire that range from theaters with stages and dressing rooms to craft breweries to photography studios complete with lighting equipment. If you need an elegant restaurant or a fast food shop or somewhere to stage a corporate-style event, you'll find those too.
Scouting around North Park for filming locations could never be classed as lost time, as there's just about every single type of location you could possibly hope for. Compared to other cities in California, such as Los Angeles, filming locations in North Park are a lot more economical to rent, so your film budget will go a lot further, and that can never be a bad thing.
Special Requirements in North Park, San Diego
Filming In Parks
While the San Diego Office of Film & Special Events pretty much manages all requests for permission to film in North Park and throughout San Diego, they only partially deal with filming that takes place in parks and recreation areas.
Should you want to film in any park or recreation area in North Park, then you will need to send a separate filming registration form to the City of San Diego's Park and Recreation Department’s Developed Regional Parks Permit Center. That's probably the longest title of any department in the city, so make sure you've got enough ink in your pen before you start addressing the envelope.
Once the relevant park manager has assessed your request, they will liaise with the film office in respect of issuing you a permit for permission to film.
NB: Switzer Canyon is also managed by the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department.
Filming At The Observatory North Park
While you might see some stars at The Observatory North Park, they won't be in the sky but on the stage. The Observatory is a renovated early 1900s theater that is now a popular event venue. To be able to film there, you would need to contact the company, Live Nation, directly via their website.
Juniper Canyon Labyrinth
Should you stumble over the Juniper Canyon Labyrinth and Healing Grounds and decide it's the ideal filming location for your zen-oriented script, you will need to contact the owners of the property directly. The healing labyrinth is part of the Banner Ranch, and you can get in touch with the owners by calling the number published on their website or Facebook page.
Generator Use
Should you be using a generator during the shoot that has a rating of 50 kilovolt-amperes or higher, then you will be required to obtain a special Electrical Permit from the Development Services Department.
What Does it Cost to Film in North Park, San Diego?
There are no fees connected to the submission of a filming registration form, whether it's submitted to the City of San Diego Film and Special Events Office or the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. The fee-free service provided by the City of San Diego Film and Special Events Office does not include any charges a production company may incur for the deployment of city personnel such as police officers or fire department staff. It also doesn't include any charges the production company may incur for the use of public property, parks, or recreation areas. NB: While the service provided to production companies by the City of San Diego Film and Special Events Office is free, it's under revision, and so this could, at any time in the future, change. If that should occur, then a fee schedule will be published on the department's official website.
Additional Fees
You may need permits from the City of San Diego to film on public property or use city services. These could include permits for street closures, sidewalk use, parking, etc. Large productions often require parking for crew, equipment, and vehicles. Depending on the scale of your shoot, you may need permits for parking.
Geographical Jurisdiction of North Park, San Diego?
North Park may have started out as a community area that covered no more than 40 acres in the late 19th century, but it's expanded considerably since then. Now, this San Diego neighborhood is home to almost 50,000 people and the only reason it can't expand any more is because it's surrounded by other city neighborhoods that have grown up alongside it. To the west, North Park is bordered by Balboa Park, the Morley Sports Field Complex, and the San Diego Zoo. To the southwest is the San Diego neighborhood of South Park, beyond which is Golden Hill. North Park's eastern boundary is clearly defined by the I15 and the I805, which run the entire length of the neighborhood. Beyond the I805 to the southeast are the neighborhoods of Fairmount Park, Gateway, and Azalea-Hollywood Park. To the east are Manzanita Canyon, Swan Canyon, and City Heights. To the northeast are the neighborhoods of Corridor and Normal Heights. To the northwest lie Marston Hills and University Heights, while to the due north are Linda Vista, Birdland, and Serra Mesa. Should your chosen filming locations encroach into any of the neighborhoods surrounding North Park, you will still need to apply to the City of San Diego Film and Special Events Office for permission to film.
Outreach in North Park, San Diego
Conducting outreach in North Park before you start filming is a compulsory part of the requirements set out by the City of San Diego Film and Special Events Office for filming in North Park. They set guidelines you will need to adhere to while doing the outreach too. There are also variations to the outreach requirements depending on how long you will be filming at one location.
If you are filming at a location for less than four hours, you will need to do the following:
Produce a goodwill notice with details of the filming activities, the exact location, times, and dates, and provide a contact number.
The goodwill notice must be distributed to all residents and businesses within a 300-foot radius of the filming location. This applies to all locations if you will be filming at more than one.
The notice can be deposited in mailboxes or left as a door hanger.
If it's a multi-occupancy building, you will need to either distribute a notice to all apartments in the block or leave sufficient copies with the building manager so they can do it if they're willing.
You will need to submit a copy of the goodwill notice with your filming registration form along with a complete list of all the addresses it's been distributed to.
When you will be filming at a location for more than four hours, you will be required to conduct a survey in the following manner:
You will need to produce a Good Neighbor Survey with details of the filming activities, the exact location, times, and dates.
The survey must be conducted in person by yourself or a community manager.
You or the community manager will need to approach every household and business within a 300-foot radius of the filming location.
Every resident and business owner will need to sign the survey.
You will need 80 percent agreement from the local community for your filming activities to get permission to film.
You will need to submit a copy of the signed survey with your filming registration form.
The City of San Diego Film and Special Events Office does not deal with any comeback or complaints about your upcoming filming activities. That responsibility falls wholly on the production company and must be resolved before permission to film is granted.
Community Management in North Park, San Diego
Because of the stringent regulations on outreach that have been put in place by the City of San Diego Film and Special Events Office, unless you're a one-person production company, it's a good idea to have a community manager on your crew.
The outreach the City of San Diego Film and Special Events Office requires can turn out to be tedious and very time-consuming. That said, it has to be done, or the film office won't grant you permission to film. Not only does it need to be done, but it also needs to be done right, or you won't get the required positive result.
Should your filming activities fall into the category of over four hours, a good community manager will be able to chat with the residents and business owners while conducting the survey. In the process of chatting with folks, the community manager will be able to detect any negativity toward the filming activities and hopefully persuade the dubious into seeing the filming in a positive light. The more signatures they can get, the better.
Community managers can also be very useful on set during the filming process as they can deal with any questions or complaints there may be from passersby and nip problems in the bud before they escalate.
Conclusion
North Park is a fantastic filming location with the potential to be adapted to almost any genre of script. As well as its characterful streets with era-related homes, Bohemian-style arts district, and parks, there are those wild canyon lands for added attraction. North Park is a neighborhood of San Diego that shouldn't be discounted in any way, shape, or form as a filming location because it really does have it all.