City Guide Filming in Santa Monica, CA
Production Permit Fees
- Regular Film Permit
- Permit Application Fee - $863 valid for ten locations
- Permit Rider Fee - $137
- Non-Profit Organization Permit
- Non-profit Permit Application Fee - $69
- Non-profit Permit Rider Fee -$34
- Student Permit
- Student Permit Fee - $124 for complicated productions
- Student Permit Fee - $33 for uncomplicated productions
Minimum Insurance
- Commercial General Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence
- Auto Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence
- Workers Compensation - $1,000,000 per occurrence
- Aircraft Use (includes drones) - $5,000,000
Additional Permits
- SMFD Special Effects Permit - $376.96
- Fire Safety Officer - $68.46 per hour for a minimum of 4 hours
- Pacific Park Background License Fee - $750
Discounts
About Santa Monica
Does Santa Monica have anything to offer as a filming location? As you're already checking this California city, you may have an idea that it is an exceptional cinematic backdrop - and you wouldn't be wrong.
Santa Monica occupies a good slice of California's southern coastline, west of Los Angeles, and faces out onto Santa Monica Bay and the North Pacific Ocean. Santa Monica has all the attributes you could ask for in a seaside city, and at the top of that list are the city's beaches, plus its historic pier that's jam-packed with carnival rides.
Santa Monica isn't just about beaches and funfairs. The city has a stylish, pedestrianized Downtown area, a characterful Main Street, several incredible boulevards and avenues, and the pier.
The directors and producers of the following movies thought so. Bean, starring Rowan Atkinson, directed by Steven Spielberg in 1941, and Beverly Hills Cop 3 with the infamous Eddie Murphy. The pier also appeared briefly in the top Tom Hanks film, Forrest Gump and Iron Man 3. These are just a few of the movies produced in Santa Monica, and there are many more.
If you're starting to feel pumped filming in Santa Monica and can't wait to go location scouting, look at the ones available on Giggster first. It'll save you time as you can do it from home instead of going to Santa Monica and pounding the streets, working up a sweat while searching for that perfect filming location. It'll also give you time to check out all the filming regulations for Santa Monica, so when you do get there, you'll start on the right foot.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Santa Monica?
The straight-up answer to whether or not you need a filming permit to film in Santa Monica is – yes, you do. It's not a complicated process; with the correct documentation, it takes around five working days to get one.
Non-profit Filming Permit
Non-profit organizations are required to have a filming permit if they want to film in Santa Monica. There are considerable reductions in fees for most non-profit organization productions if they present the appropriate paperwork during the application process.
Student Filming Permit
All student productions must be issued with a filming permit before their filming activities in Santa Monica can begin. Discounted fee rates apply if proof of studying is supplied.
Special Effects Permit
If your film shoot includes any use of special effects such as pyrotechnics or open flames then you will need to have a special effects permit. Special Effects Permits for Santa Monica are issued by the Santa Monica Fire Department. It's also compulsory to have a Fire Safety Officer in attendance for transporting the pyrotechnics and for when the special effects are taking place. Special Effects Permits can take anywhere up to seven working days or more to be processed. The above are examples of the basic filming permits you may need to film in Santa Monica. There are certain locations in the city that may require you to obtain an extra permit or prior permission to film there. You can find out more about those in the special requirements section of this article.
Permit Management in Santa Monica
FilmLA
FilmLA issues all standard permits for filming in Santa Monica. FilmLA is a non-profit organization coordinating film permits for most cities and school districts in Los Angeles County and several places outside the county boundaries.
The initial application process for acquiring a filming permit for Santa Monica from FilmLA is conducted online via the FilmLA webpage. The date of the application submission is not included in the estimated permit processing time.
After FilmLA receives your application, you will be allocated a Project Coordinator who will assist through the necessary procedures for obtaining your permit. The coordinator will also advise you on any specific requirements that must be fulfilled before your permit is issued.
Application processing can take longer if your production involves many different shoot locations, has a sizeable cast or crew, or other authoritative bodies such as the police, fire service, or lifeguards contacted for organizational purposes.
FilmLA does not issue permits for special effects while filming in Santa Monica but will advise you on how to apply for one from the Santa Monica Fire Department.
What Insurance Do I Need in Santa Monica?
FilmLA is adamant that you should have the correct liability insurance for your film shoot when you apply for your filming permit. You must upload and submit a valid insurance certificate with your permit application. If you're unsure about exactly what coverage you need or are worried that the minimum amounts for coverage advised by FilmLA aren't enough for your production, the best thing to do is consult with a FilmLA insurance specialist before purchasing insurance from a broker.
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 Santa Monica?
What tends to catch the eye of most filmmakers when they're investigating Santa Monica is the incredible diversity of outdoor shooting locations. This city has in every way, shape, and form.
External Film Shoot Locations In Santa Monica
Santa Monica State Beach is three and a half miles of golden sand lapped by the surfing-sized waves of the North Pacific Ocean. Several promenades and pedestrian walkways back the beach, all lined with boutiques, cafeterias, and restaurants. There are facilities for beach volleyball, beach soccer, and beach tennis. It would be impossible to mention Santa Monica Beach without mentioning the pier. It's a fantastic film location in its own right.
Parks are one thing the town planners of Santa Monica went slightly overboard on, and each of the thirty-plus parks in the city has different features. The Palisades Park has beautiful pathways lined with tropical palms from where there are fantastic ocean views. Douglas Park, created as a film lot, is just under ten acres of parkland peppered with palm trees and duck ponds. If you want your cast to explore tropical gardens during breaks, look at Tongva Park. If none of those three are suitable, there are plenty more to choose from.
Santa Monica has eight different neighborhoods, and each and everyone is worth taking time to get to know before making a final decision about your film shoot location. The most outstanding include Downtown, Mid-City, and Pico Boulevard for an extra colorful setting.
Internal Film Shoot Locations In Santa Monica
The internal film shoot locations in Santa Monica are just as diverse as the external ones, so be prepared to be overawed by what you discover even on the quickest of scouting soirees. Need a 1965 VW Samba Bus that's in tip-top condition? That's how diverse Santa Monica is.
You'll find plenty of availability for sound recording studios, green rooms, and post-production studios, so you can stay on to enjoy the California sunshine even when the filming is over and done with.
Business always comes first, though, and as far as indoor locations for filming go, you'll probably think you've hit the jackpot with what's on offer in Santa Monica. There's a selection of single rooms and apartments decorated in an endless array of styles, so if you can't find the one you're looking for, alter your expectations.
Want to set a scene in a gentleman's club complete with leather-upholstered furnishings or a restaurant by the beach? They're both available in Santa Monica. There are houses with interiors finished with décor from every trend era there's ever been and several that defy being categorized in any way, so if you want unusual, you'll get that too.
Special Requirements in Santa Monica
Filming On Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica Pier is a feature of this city that is not a stranger to starring in movies. It depends which part of the pier you want to film on to who you have to contact to check availability on the dates you're hoping for. You need to do this before you make a filming permit application with FilmLA.
When you just want to film on the pier itself, you will need to get in contact with The Pier Corporation Office which is located above the Carousel Building in Suite A.
When you want to film inside the Pacific Amusement Park, you will need to get in touch with the park's Senior Sales Manager. The Senior Sales Manager will advise you on the fees charged for filming there, which vary according to the size of the production cast and crew.
There are strict rules about the sizes of vehicles permitted on to the pier for the unloading and loading of equipment so make sure you're fully aware of those while you're still in the planning stage of your film shoot.
You will need to have specific insurance indemnisations for both the pier and the amusement park. The correct wording can be found in PDF format on FilmLA's special requirements for Santa Monica page.
Note - If you are only filming on the pier, but have Pacific Park in the background, you will need to pay a background licensing fee of $750.
Filming At The Annenberg Community Beach House
To be able to film at the five acre public site in Santa Monica known as the Annenberg Community Beach House, you will need to contact the Sales Office by phone or email. They will advise you of site availability and the various fees involved with filming there. You will still need to have a Santa Monica filming permit from FilmLA even if this is your only shoot location.
Additional Parking Requirements For Santa Monica
To be able to park production vehicles on the street in front of homes or businesses during your film shoot, you will be required to conduct a survey of all the homes and businesses affected. There is a special form you can download from the FilmLA website on the special requirements for Santa Monica page.
To be permitted parking during the shoot, each resident or business owner must be in agreement and sign the survey which you will need to submit to the Public Works Department and FilmLA. You will also be required to follow strict guidelines when posting Temporary No Parking signs.
What Does it Cost to Film in Santa Monica?
This is a broad overview of the basic fees incurred when applying for a filming permit to film in Santa Monica. Fees can vary - think more rather than less, depending on your chosen location and the crew size.
Additional Fees
All fees must be paid in full when you collect your film permit. Fees do not include any charges you may incur from an organization other than FilmLA or for location hire.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Santa Monica?
Santa Monica covers an area of sixteen square miles, half of which is water, so it isn't one of the largest cities in California by far, but it does occupy a prime spot on the state's southern coastline. Santa Monica is fronted by the broad Bay of Santa Monica and the North Pacific Ocean. It's almost entirely surrounded by the expanse of Los Angeles that has spread out around it. The LA neighborhood of Pacific Palisades borders Santa Monica to the north, the neighborhood of Venice to the south, and West Los Angeles to the east. If your film shoot location should encroach into Pacific Palisades, you will need to apply for a separate filming permit from FilmLA. There are specific special requirements for filming in Pacific Palisades. This has been an overused location, so before a film permit is issued, they will conduct an in-depth review of your chosen shoot location. No permit for Pacific Palisades will be issued unless the locals are in approval of your activity and you are prepared to follow the strict guidelines that have been set in place for filming here. If you've decided you need a yacht-filled marina in your shots and have chosen to go to nearby Marina del Rey to take them, be prepared. Marina del Rey is another overused filming location in Los Angeles County, and you will need to adhere to the strict guidelines put in place by the Department of Beaches and Harbors to film there. Initial permit applications should be submitted to FilmLA, who will liaise with the Department of Beaches and Harbors about your project. Don't take it for granted you'll get a permit. Each case is studied individually, and not all are given the green light to go ahead.
Outreach in Santa Monica
The great thing about outreach in Santa Monica is that FilmLA will do it for you. There is a slight setback, and it will cost you money.
Outreach is part of the integral service FilmLA provides once you've applied for your filming permit for Santa Monica. They print out and distribute notifications to all the home and business owners in all the vicinities around your chosen locations, informing them of your upcoming filming activities.
The initial layout may seem steep, especially if you're a student production - the service costs just over two hundred dollars - but it isn't, so look at it as a time and money saver. If you're shooting at the ten locations in Santa Monica that your filming permit allows, that boils down to just twenty dollars a location. It would cost you more in shoe leather to distribute notifications to all the addresses within a three-hundred-foot radius of ten locations.
Having an efficient outreach done before your film shoot starts means the neighborhood locals are aware of what's going on and when. They may turn up to watch the filming, and then again, they may not. But by doing the outreach, you'll have given them a chance to have their say if they're not happy in any way, which hopefully means less chance of problems occurring when you start shooting.
Community Management in Santa Monica
You might not think there's any need for having a community manager on site after FilmLA has distributed notifications about your filming activities. But having a community manager around is always a good idea, as people who are having a bad day or enjoy being awkward can change their minds like the wind changes direction.
Most problems that arise, especially when shooting in outdoor locations where you're accessible to the general public, can be nipped in the bud swiftly by a good community manager. They're experts or should be, at public relations and de-escalation techniques that will take the sting out of anyone's complaining.
The life lesson to be learned here is always to be ready for the unexpected, particularly where the general public is concerned. Whether you're Steven Spielberg or a student shooting their first film, it'll all go according to plan.
Conclusion
Santa Monica is a fantastic film shoot location that has already featured in some of the most iconic movies of all time. Keep that fact in mind when you’re on your film shoot because you never know; your movie might be the next classic that’s viewed time and time again for decades to come.