City Guide Filming in San Diego, CA
Production Permit Fees
- Film Permit Minimum Cost: Free
Minimum Insurance
- Commercial General Liability
- Aircraft Liability Insurance
Additional Permits
Discounts
About San Diego
San Diego's allure is just one-of-a-kind. The City is regarded as "America's Finest City" for its mile-long beaches, entertaining amusement parks, and gorgeous gardens. The weather is pleasant all year, there are plenty of job opportunities, and the standard of living is exceptional. In fact, San Diego ranks second in terms of quality of life among large U.S. metros. It's no surprise that hundreds of Hollywood films have been made here. Due to its proximity to Los Angeles, the City has a wider pool of talent than many other locations, as well as unique access to the talent already existing in LA.
San Diego's filmography features a number of renowned locales featured in Hollywood films. San Diego continues to be a film-friendly city for film production. San Diego played an important role in Top Gun: Maverick (the sequel to Tom Cruise's 1980s military aviation film), just as they did in the original. Some of the sequel's most memorable sequences take place at NAS North Island in Coronado in the San Diego Bay. Scenes were shot on the beach as well as in various hangars, roadways, and office buildings on base.
Some of the other films previously shot in San Diego include Some Like it Hot, Citizen Kane, Traffic, Almost Famous, Freaky Friday, Anchorman, and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. San Diego has also guest starred in several TV series productions over the years, including Veronica Mars, Animal Kingdom, Simon & Simon, Weeds, John From Cincinnati, Pitch, and so on.
If you’re new to the City and you’re planning a film shoot, it’s best that you take some time to familiarize yourself with filming laws and regulations in San Diego to avoid facing any potential legal challenges for failure to follow filming laws in the City.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in San Diego?
To film in San Diego, you must first obtain a permit for all commercial filming and then submit a slew of supporting documents to the Special Events & Film Office. Non-low-impact filming operations may necessitate a permit to handle potential effects on the community. Low-impact filming will not necessitate a special use permit. For instance, filming on public property while exercising First Amendment rights does not require a filming permit. This means you can film protests, rallies, and demonstrations on public property without acquiring a filming permit first.
Also, private property does not require permits. However, the owner of the private property may require a location agreement before you can lawfully access and film on their property. That said, there are a variety of film permits required in the City of San Diego. Depending on the scope of your production, here are some of the permits you may need to shoot a film in San Diego:
Student Filming:
While students need to get a film permit to shoot a film in the City, The San Diego Film Office offers a free filming authorization procedure for students to film on the City's public land.
Drone Filming:
The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, sometimes known as drones) for commercial filming in San Diego is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Pyrotechnics Special Effects Permit:
If your filming involves the use of pyrotechnics, fireworks, or explosives, your production company is required to get an additional permit from the Fire Prevention Department.
Permit Management in San Diego
Special Events & Film Office
The San Diego Film Office offers the core services of a traditional film office to the San Diego region, such as permitting and linking film production companies to the right contacts in the partner cities, promoting San Diego as a film-friendly area, and providing valuable resources for the local film industry.
The Special Events & Film Office provides a set of services to help you in acquiring the necessary permission to film inside the City, as well as online information for the local film industry. Depending on the filming activities, the agency will also submit your details to any City department with operational responsibility or filming regulations for a specific element of the projected production on a case-by-case basis.
Production companies are required to submit their requests at least three business days before the first date of film production, along with the requisite documents provided in the City of San Diego's film production guideline. However, you will need at least one week if the filming activity involves street, sidewalk, or lane closures, weapons or gunfire, fight scenes, or intermittent traffic control. And two weeks if your filming activity involves smoke effects and water contact.
What Insurance Do I Need in San Diego?
If your production will take place on the City of San Diego public property and requires a film permit, you must also submit a certificate of insurance and endorsement. Good film insurance policy shields producers, filmmakers, film crew, production equipment, filming agency, and all filming sites from liability claims.
Film production insurance, like film productions, comes in various forms. Due to the different sorts of films, filmmakers may be required to offer a wide range of insurance coverage and plans in San Diego, including:
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 San Diego?
The best part about being a filmmaker in San Diego is the variety of places available to shoot your film. This lovely city has been the setting for wildly successful films such as Anchorman and Top Gun, and it's easy to see why. The Southern California destination is home to a variety of schools, gorgeous beaches, a fantastic downtown area, wonderful natural settings, architectural gems, nice suburban towns, and much more.
Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Coronado, La Jolla, and Beaches Mission Beach are just a few examples of scenic locations for your next filming project. Each town has something unique to offer, such as the breathtaking views at the boardwalk games at Belmont Park in Mission Beach or Sunset Cliffs Natural Park.
Also, when you move to Downtown San Diego, you will get everything you might need for a downtown shooting site, including amazing nightlife, restaurants, and a sporting venue. Take a stroll down to the Gaslamp Quarter, where you'll discover intimate taverns, enormous clubs, and an unbeatable cityscape.
If you need a school setting for your forthcoming film, consider Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego State University, CSU San Marcos UC San Diego, University of San Diego, or any of the several high schools, community colleges, and elementary schools in the area. Many projects have already used these colleges, including The Real World: San Diego, Bring It On, and Veronica Mars, which all used the City as a location.
In addition to the beaches, there are also several magnificent natural and architectural settings in San Diego that are ideal for films. The Sweetwater River Bridge, for instance, is an excellent blend of modern construction with the natural beauty that surrounds it. Balboa Park has lovely greenery and classic buildings for everyone to enjoy. If you want to film in a place that genuinely has seasons, go to Julian, where the old-world charm contrasts beautifully with the vivid fall leaves or the new winter snow.
Special Requirements in San Diego
On-Campus Commercial Filming
University Communications & Public Affairs (UCPA) is in charge of all on-campus commercial filming agreements.
UCPA checks and processes all filming requests on campus and works with all campus units on your behalf.
All filming activities that involve shooting in specific places such as resident hall, lab, or lecture hall, must first receive permission from the UC San Diego unit communications team.
These authorizations are granted on a case-by-case basis by the relevant UC San Diego communications professionals.
Balboa Park Carousel
All requests for film productions on or around the Balboa Park Carousel must be made to the Communication Officer at Friends of Balboa Park.
Friends of Balboa Park reserves the right to review the whole script for film productions incorporating any part of the carousel and to be aware of the film industry rating the film project is expected to get. And they reserve the right to deny permission for any film production.
The agency maintains the right to revoke authorization to use scenes shot at the carousel if the standard industry code for the film changes after the project is done.
Any filming on or around the Balboa Park Carousel must provide the agency with a general liability insurance coverage with at least $1,000,000. The production company must also list the agency as additional insured and held harmless while filming.
Friends of Balboa Park will determine location fees, if required, based on the scope and size of the film production, as well as the number of days you’ll be filming.
The University of San Diego Campus
The Entity of Media Relations is responsible for issuing a filming permit on the USD campus, which is the only office on campus that may give such permission. The University of San Diego reserves the right to review your film script for productions on campus.
Any production company shooting film on the campus will present the university with a particular production plan, including dates, times, number of crew, locations, size and number of trucks, security needs, parking needs, meal needs, power needs, and facility’s needs, in advance of production.
City Park, Beach, Recreation Center, or Park Facility
If the production is held in a City park, beach, recreation center, or park facility, a request must be submitted to the Park to Recreation Department Developed Regional Parks Permit Center.
The Park and Recreation Department will assess the request to ensure that the requested site is available and that all operational and/or community issues have been handled.
If the Park and Recreation Department has to make changes to the request, the Primary Contact will be contacted.
Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
A form must be completed and submitted to the Olivenhain Municipal Water District for approval. Your usage of EFRR is only permitted if this document is signed by an Olivenhain Municipal Water District representative.
A walk-through with OMWD ranger personnel may also be required to determine the requested site, whether it can accommodate the planned use, and if a staff film monitor will be required. Film monitors and/or additional ranger staff are at the filmmaker's expense and will be collected by OMWD.
A minimum of $1,000,000 in insurance is necessary, with Olivenhain Municipal Water District named as an additional insured.
What Does it Cost to Film in San Diego?
San Diego film permits are free. This means production companies are not charged for registering to film – whether it is print photography or feature film – on the City's public property, and dedicated staff will help them along the way. However, while a filming permit is free in San Diego, there are certain fees associated with other film permitting agencies within the City. For instance, Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve requires fees for film shoots on its property, which include $100 per hour, $400 for a half-day, and $800 for a whole day. The Reserve also costs $500 per day to use as a production base. If a caterer is present, there will be an additional $50 cost. And you must make the total payment for the permit before the shoot. Also, keep in mind that there are costs associated with your film production requiring personnel such as traffic control and administration of street closures:
Additional Fees
You will be charged at the rates listed above for the actual time personnel are on-site. And there is a minimum of four-hour charges for all personnel. Extensive research and careful planning are crucial to creating a precise budget for filming in San Diego, accounting for all potential expenses. Working closely alongside local film offices and industry experts can offer valuable perspectives on the exact costs of filming in this region.
Geographical Jurisdiction of San Diego?
San Diego, California's second-largest city and the ninth largest in the United States, has a city population of roughly 1.3 million people and a county population of more than 3 million people. San Diego County comprises 18 incorporated cities and countless smaller lovely neighborhoods and communities inside its 4,200 square mile limits, including downtown's famous Gaslamp Quarter.
San Diego has amazing weather, gorgeous beaches, and a dizzying selection of world-class attractions. The popular San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld San Diego are all popular attractions. San Diego has a wide range of things to see and do for visitors of all ages from all over the world.
The terrain in San Diego's East County ranges from calm foothills to mile-high mountains, all the way down to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, providing nature-lovers with endless opportunities. While San Diego encompasses many jurisdictions, some cities require separate permits for filming.
City of Oceanside
A Special Events Permit is required to film in the City of Oceanside, and every production company must submit a film permit application.
Film Permit Applications must be submitted at least seven working days before the production date. Requests made fewer than seven days in advance may be considered but are subject to the availability of City facilities and personnel.
City of Coronado
A non-refundable charge of $50.00 is due upon completion of the film production application in the City of Coronado.
The Permittee shall obtain and maintain comprehensive general liability coverage in an insurable amount of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence during the length of this Permit.
Some of the other cities in San Diego that require additional permits include the City of Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Encinitas, El Cajon, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, National City, Del Mar, Lemon Grove, and Poway.
Outreach in San Diego
The City of San Diego strives to accommodate production requests on public property while balancing the demands of the residential and business populations, as well as public safety and access to public places. When a film production is expected to have an influence on a specific location, the City requires production companies to notify any residents, businesses, or other facilities within 300 feet of the proposed filming location. The use of the Good Neighbor Notification Form is required, and it must be distributed by the production company.
Community Management in San Diego
When shooting a film, finding the appropriate balance is important to the overall success of the project. Residents and companies have long been involved in film planning processes, and the drive to incorporate them actively in planning is a common goal. Residents' and business support are required for film production to be a success in the community. They frequently have a lot to say about the continuous production activity in their neighborhood, and if they are unhappy, their elected authorities will hear about it and attempt to prohibit specific types or all production. The more assistance production companies receive from the residents and businesses; the happier and more successful the project will be.
Conclusion
After all is said and done, you can see why filmmakers choose America's Finest City as a setting for their films. Despite being the seventh largest city in the United States, San Diego has the sense of a small town with a tight-knit community. It is a lovely, relaxed city that is simple to traverse. San Diego is a popular holiday location for a good reason, with beaches and parks in every direction. The same kindness and comfort that tourists enjoy is generally extended to film productions.
Its proximity to Los Angeles is also an added advantage. Your LA team might be filming in San Diego during the day and sleeping in their own beds at night. Once you arrive, you will notice that the City has little traffic. It takes about 20 minutes to drive from one area to another in the metropolis.
If you're planning to film in San Diego, this San Diego filming guideline and law will help you understand what you need to know for a successful film shoot in the City. This can help you save time and be fully prepared for your forthcoming San Diego film shoot.