City Guide Filming in Westchester, NY
Production Permit Fees
- Film Permit Application Fee: $863 (non-refundable)
- Permit Rider’s Fee: $28
Minimum Insurance
- Commercial general liability coverage of at least $1 million per incident.
- Workers' compensation under the Labor Code of California.
- $1 million per event and $1 million overall auto liability coverage. The insurance covers grip trucks, rented automobiles, and employees driving personal cars in genuine production businesses.
- A minimum of $5 million in aircraft liability insurance for each aircraft used.
- A Waiver of Subrogation is required, which specifies that if your company is sued, the litigation must finish with your insurance and cannot extend to people that work on the project with you, such as FilmLA.
Additional Permits
Discounts
About Westchester
There's a reason that Westchester, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, is a popular destination for film production. The area has a wide range of locations, many of which are in the Los Angeles film zone, as well as film-friendly settings, professional crews and suppliers, and cutting-edge sound stages and post-production facilities.
Westchester also has a proactive and responsive film office that gives hands-on help to ensure the success of your production. They are simple to reach and navigate. Also, California’s film incentive program is one of the most competitive in the country. If you plan to shoot in the city, you should consider the available incentives.
Some of the most popular tv shows have been filmed in Westchester, including Heat, American Horror Story, American Sniper, American Horror Stories, Nightcrawler, and the list goes on. However, before you can shoot a film in the city, you must follow specific filming regulations and guidelines in Westchester for successful film production.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Westchester?
A filming permit issued by FilmLA is required for all film production on public and private property in Westchester unless you are filming at a licensed film studio. A film permit is required even if the setting is a private company or residence.
It is an offense to film in Westchester without a filming permit. If you are found filming without a permit, your film production will be halted, and you may face substantial fines and costly court appearances. In addition, you could potentially be arrested and your equipment seized.
Filming permits in Westchester come in a range of forms. Depending on the extent of your film production, you may require multiple permits to film.
Student Filming
All student filming in the neighborhood of Westchester requires a permit. FilmLA will analyze the application and discuss it with the film production to determine the type of permit to be issued.
Animal Control Permit
All animal-based film productions must contact the Los Angeles Department of Wildlife & Fisheries to discuss specific laws for the species being used.
Permit for Special Effects and Pyrotechnics
Before performing any explosions, fireworks, or pyrotechnics, you can consult the local fire departments, state police, and state fire marshal. The requirement for standby fire equipment and personnel is decided on case-to-case bases.
Non-profit Filming
Non-profit filming requires a film permit in Westchester. However, the film permit fee may be reduced or waived. You must give a copy of your IRS 501c form. Other costs may apply depending on the nature of your film activity.
Permit Management in Westchester
FilmLA
FilmLA is Westchester’s official film permit agency. FilmLA is a one-stop shop for all film licenses issued inside the city borders of Westchester and all permits for productions taking place anywhere in Los Angeles County.
FilmLA issues film permits and works with local departments to ensure that your production has all it needs to succeed. You can apply for a film permit when you've completed the proper surveys, supplied proof of insurance, and potentially had a city official tour through your location. Film permit applications must be filed to FilmLA at least five working days before the first day of filming.
FilmLA offers far more than just filming permits. The Greater Los Angeles area is a city of more than 18 million people who work and live in an industrial environment. As a result, FilmLA balances improving film production companies' on-set experiences and the local populations who live and work there.
FilmLA also has an extensive online location library that will assist you in starting your location scout and identifying issues like parking, lane closures, base camps, and more, as well as the unique qualities of the neighborhoods surrounding each filming location.
What Insurance Do I Need in Westchester?
According to FilmLA, all film production companies must have insurance before they can shoot in Westchester. Film production insurance protects your film from liability up to a certain amount of money. Each insurance coverage is unique and tailored to your production firm's needs when the policy is purchased.
While most film production insurance policies cover on-set injuries and damage, policies specific to your project can usually be added.
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 Westchester?
For several years, Westchester villages have been one of the most preferred filming locations in Los Angeles. As a result, the list of filming locations in Westchester is limitless, with Hollywood visiting nearly every town and local monument.
For instance, Bluff Trail Park or Bluff Trails are ideal for filmmakers. The Bluff is easily accessible from the neighborhood or LMU's campus. The Rosenheim House has also been used in a lot of films. It was used as the fraternity house where Buffy and her friends attend a Halloween party in the Season 4 episode of "Fear, Itself." Oz transforms into a werewolf in one scene, shot inside one of the property's restrooms. This is the same bathroom where the burglars in "Home Invasion" attempt to murder Violet before being rescued by Tate.
For over a century, this property has been a popular filming location, having served as the backdrop for countless major motion pictures, television commercials, and still photography shoots, with the biggest names in Hollywood and around the world utilizing this property for their projects, many of whom have returned several times.
Also, there are various soundstages in Westchester where you can design sets to meet your vision. This creative metropolis also has many studios suitable for sound recording and photography. Besides, unlike other areas of Los Angeles, you are not confined to your current location. Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, and Venice are just a short distance away. Inglewood is a short drive away, while Culver City is reasonably accessible by foot. Some of the best locations in Los Angeles are only a five- or a ten-minute drive from Westchester.
Special Requirements in Westchester
Los Angeles Parks
Call the Park Film Office to learn more about your location and reservation process. Staff will explain any regulations, processes, or limits that may apply to your filming request.
On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, FilmLA provides permits and collects money.
Depending on what is being done and where the filming will take place, a Park Monitor may be required. The monitor will make filming easier while also safeguarding park resources.
You need to notify the Park Film Office of any cancellations or changes. Also, you must communicate with the Film Monitors to inform them of any cancellations or changes.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Before filming in any LAUSD facility, permission must be requested from the School Board. FilmLA, the centralized body that handles requests to film in Los Angeles, manages all requests.
This application must be completed and submitted to FilmLA as part of the application process for a License Agreement to film or park film vehicles on LAUSD property.
Shooting in a school necessitates a General Liability insurance policy with a coverage maximum of at least $1/$2 million, $1 million Auto Liability, and Workers' Compensation as established by the state of California.
Los Angeles International Airport
The LAX Film Office manages all commercial filmmaking endeavors, from extensive feature film production to small still photography projects.
Any commercial filming in specific terminals must be permitted by the airline at least three business days before the film shoot.
You must produce proof of General Liability Insurance with a minimum of $10 million coverage for all airfield and/or ramp locations and $1 million for all other places.
Temporary No Parking Signs
Your production company may erect temporary "No Parking" signs. The Los Angeles Police Department enforces signs not up to 48 hours in advance. You can only use the city-approved sign template and must fill out all fields.
Police
A police officer or officers may be needed for the following tasks:
Pedestrian control or Intermittent traffic
Special effects/stunts/simulated gunfire
Filming with more than 10 crew/cast while using the public right of way
Scenes depicting emergency vehicles or personnel
Street closures
Driving scenes
Any other purpose deemed appropriate by the Los Angeles Police Department
Filming Survey
Westchester may demand a filming survey to show that impacted residents/businesses have been contacted individually and to solicit any individual objection about the desired activity. FilmLA will supply a survey form, a sample letter, a sample map, and guidelines, but your film production company is responsible for surveying the affected people and businesses.
Monitors
When necessary, a FilmLA Monitor will be appointed to a specific project, which may involve filming on City-owned land, complicated filming activity, and regularly filmed places, among other things. Your company will be charged for the cost of a monitor.
Gunfire
The use or discharge of firearms must be specified in the filming permit application. This action necessitates the presence of a Sheriff to ensure safety, and you must properly notify the right law enforcement offices.
Special Effects
Any filming operation requiring combustible materials, open flames, or explosive devices is a special effect. You must submit all special effects permit requests directly to the LA County Fire Department Public Safety and Film Unit for authorization. Special effects may necessitate more broad warnings to residents and businesses.
What Does it Cost to Film in Westchester?
A Los Angeles film permit comes with various fees depending on your location and the scope of your production operations. Your FilmLA film production coordinator can work with your production company and budget to meet your demands while keeping these fees to a minimum
Additional Fees
Geographical Jurisdiction of Westchester?
Westchester is a neighborhood of LA and the westside region of LA County. LA International Airport, Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnet Schools, Otis College of Art and Design, and Loyola Marymount University are all located within the neighborhood’s limits.
Westchester is bounded on the north by Culver City and Playa Vista, on the southeast by Hawthorne, on the east by Lennox and Inglewood, and on the south by El Segundo. It encompasses the whole of Los Angeles International Airport.
A two-block-wide shoestring region extends north from the La Cienega Boulevard and Centinela Avenue intersection to 63rd Street. It then moves east to Overhill Avenue, where Westchester connects to the Hyde Park neighborhood.
Westchester began the 20th century as an agricultural region, growing a diverse range of crops in a dry, farming-friendly climate. The rapid rise of the aerospace sector near Mines Field, the relocation of then-Loyola University to the neighborhood in 1928, and the overall population increase in LA produced a need for housing in the area. Westchester was created to accommodate working-class people.
Outreach in Westchester
Certain types of film production activity may necessitate a Community Filming Survey before you can be issued a filming permit. In this case, you need to demonstrate that affected residents and businesses have been individually contacted, informed of the requested production activity, and allowed to share their concerns with FilmLA and production representatives.
Surveys are typically required to film in Westchester if you plan to engage in after-hours filming in residential areas, high-impact filming activity like major parking requests, street closures, filming for five or more consecutive days in one place, or when there has been a history of high filming rate in an area. Although FilmLA cannot help filmmakers gather survey responses, surveys must be performed using FilmLA-approved forms, and a blank template is provided.
Once FilmLA has accepted the survey form, enough physical copies should be prepared to provide each resident and business representative with two surveys: one for remark and submission to FilmLA and one for the representatives to hold for future reference. If no one can be surveyed in person, two copies should be left at households or companies. In addition, a brief notice on survey form retrieval should be placed with the surveys. Westchester is one of the places that has a contract with FilmLA to process their film permits.
Community Management in Westchester
While the residents and businesses in Westchester you want to shoot your film may be aware of the inconvenience that filming might cause, don't expect them to be shellshocked by the presence of film crews. You must be capable of communicating with local neighbors about their complaints about noise or other disruptions caused by filming activity.
Your film production company must take into account the necessities of the residents, for example:
What is the diversion route if streets are closed? Is it labeled clearly?
Where can the community members find alternative parking if parking is limited?
How long will there be a significant noise factor?
What precautions are taken if night gunfire is involved so that residents are not kept awake all night?
You can also donate to the location organization to compensate for the inconvenience. But, overall, you need to find a way to make your film production work for your company and the community.
Conclusion
As filmmakers realize the benefits of well-trained and experienced film crews, world-class production facilities, and great filming locations, Westchester has emerged as one of the world's top destinations for film production. In addition, the area has become a casting call hub in recent years thanks to a hefty tax benefit.
Besides, FilmLA makes getting a filming permit a relatively simple process while ensuring that film productions and local communities have a mutually beneficial partnership now and in the future. FilmLA provides a wide range of services and assistance to hundreds of productions annually. They can help you with any questions or particular requirements you may have, from film and TV to music and video games — and many other multimedia projects.
However, you need to ensure that your production is adequately and properly authorized by allowing enough time to go through the Westchester film permitting process. This Westchester filming guideline also makes it easy to understand how to navigate the film production process for filmmakers. It can help make your next film production a success!
If your production is looking for neon and sparkle ghost towns, miles of gorgeous roads, majestic mountains, arid terrain, and picturesque parks, come to Westchester.