City Guide Filming in Westlake, CA
Production Permit Fees
- Permit Application - $863 for up to ten locations
- Permit Rider Fee - $137 per rider per permit change
- FilmLA Monitor Fee - $41 per hour as required
- Fire Review Fee - $282 per permit for cast and crew over 15 people
- Fire Safety Officer - $196.99 per hour. Minimum 4 hours
- Fire Safety Advisor - $56.55 per hour. Minimum 4 hours
- Student Permit Fees - $33 for simple productions
- Student Permit Fees - $124 for complex productions
- Non-Profit Permit Application Fee - $69
- Non-Profit Permit Rider Fee - $34
- Notification Service - $215
Minimum Insurance
- General Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence
- Auto Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence
- Workers Compensation - $1,000,000 per occurrence
- Aircraft Use - $5,000,000
- Drone Use - $2,000,000
Additional Permits
Discounts
About Westlake
Westlake is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles that has been inspiring creative minds for decades. Westlake isn't one of LA's most expansive neighborhoods by any means, but it's built around one of the city's most iconic public green spaces, McArthur Park.
After evolving from a middle-class residential area into a somewhat downtrodden district, Westlake is now once more emerging from the mire and developing into what can only be called a hip, Bohemian area. While Westlake may be in the process of a rebirth, it still has some amazing historical features too.
One unusual feature of Westlake that's been a big draw for filmmakers over the years is the plethora of Victorian mansions lining Bonnie Brae Street. There are Gothic-looking turreted homes there that wouldn't look out of place in an Addams Family remake.
There are also some other, not quite so attractive, aspects of Westlake that have drawn producers and directors like a magnet. The 2001 movie, Training Day, starring Denzil Washington, was shot on Westlake's streets to add authenticity to the gangland storyline. That's a fact that will give you some idea of how this neighborhood has changed in the ensuing twenty years since that movie was made.
In the 2011 film Drive, Ryan Gosling meets his co-star Christina Hendricks by the lakeside in McArthur Park to plan a robbery. McArthur Park was also used as a filming location in the 2005 crime comedy, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, so go to film there, and you'll be following in the footsteps of writer-director Shane Black and actors of the caliber of Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer. They're not easy acts to follow by any means.
There are, without a doubt, some great filming locations in Westlake. No, they're not the same as the luxurious ones you'd find in districts like Bel Air or Marina del Rey, and while it might not be the Bronx, they're locations that will add a certain amount of grit and down-to-earth, streetlife reality to your scenes.
If you want to scout out some locations without wandering around the streets in a bulletproof vest, you can check out some available filming locations here on Giggster. Then, before you take your cast and crew on a ghetto-style shoot, make sure you're aware of the filming guidelines that apply to the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Westlake?
While some of the residents might disagree, the neighborhood of Westlake falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Los Angeles and on a broader level, the County of Los Angeles. That means you do need to be in possession of a filming permit if you want to film in Westlake.
To obtain a filming permit to film in Westlake isn't difficult and for the most part, isn't overly time-consuming either. Unless you're shooting a movie on the level of Training Day with a large cast and crew, you can usually manage to be issued with a film permit in around three working days.
It's always a good idea to start your film permit application process a little earlier than three days before the shoot. Why? The reason for that is you may need to liaise with several different city authorities if you need road or sidewalk closures, are going to be using any type of special effect, or are planning on letting tigers loose on the streets of Westlake.
A filming permit for Westlake isn't free, but until you've completed the application process you won't know exactly how much the final amount you will have to pay will be. You can read more about the cost of a film permit for Westlake further along in this article.
Student Film Permits
If you're still studying at a recognized educational facility and can provide documented proof of your studies, then you could be entitled to discounted permit fees.
Non-Profit Organization Film Permits
If your production is being filmed for a non-profit organization, you may be entitled to discounted permit fees. You won't receive them automatically, but will be required to provide evidence you're filming for a non-profit organization during the application process.
Permit Management in Westlake
FilmLA
The management of filming permits for the Los Angeles city neighborhood of Westlake comes under the jurisdiction of a non-profit organization called FilmLA. FilmLA is an organization that manages approximately ninety percent of film permitting in the City of Los Angeles and throughout the County of Los Angeles.
All filming permit applications have to be made online via the FilmLA app. You will also need to upload to the app any relevant documentation requested by FilmLA during the application process, as well as pay the fees incurred by debit or credit card.
Getting a film permit isn't an entirely automated process. There is some human involvement. Once you have completed the application and submitted it, you'll be contacted by a FilmLA project coordinator who will have been assigned to your particular project. Their role is to make your application as smooth sailing as possible.
FilmLA will also help in liaising with other city authorities. They can't work miracles, though, so don't expect them to get everything sorted out overnight. Some authorities require a lot more notification of your film shoot than FilmLA does.
What Insurance Do I Need in Westlake?
Insurance is compulsory when you want to film anywhere in Los Angeles, and a necessity if you're going to film in Westlake.
While FilmLA does publish the basic amounts of liability coverage you'll need to get a film permit, you should be aware that the figures given are the minimum requirement. The actual coverage they'll require you to contract depends on factors such as the size of the cast and crew and the chosen locations.
In all cases, your FilmLA project coordinator or a FilmLA insurance specialist will be able to advise you on the correct coverage for your production before you contract it. One thing which is obligatory is naming both the City of Los Angeles and FilmLA as additionally insured on the certificate, as well as the County of Los Angeles if you have to employ county employees. The precise wording that should be used when doing that is very specific and can be found on the FilmLA website in the insurance requirements section.
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 Westlake?
One of the top filming locations in Westlake is of course McArthur Park, and it lends itself well to serving as a backdrop for all kinds of scenes. Partly surrounded by high rises, with a lake at the center, fountains, an island, lots of asphalted walkways, an amphitheater, and lots of greenery, it's ideal for both daytime or after-dark filming.
There are, in fact, two sides to the streets of Westlake. In some parts, it has a run-down look, and in other parts you'll find areas that display the work that's being carried out to restore the neighborhood to its former glory. That's a great contrast and means you've got two different sorts of filming locations within a short distance of each other.
Pretty much the same can be said about the interior shoot locations in Westlake. They really do range from one extreme to the other, so you're bound to find something similar to, if not exactly, what you're scouting for.
In Westlake there's an abundance of warehouse space that can be adapted to all sorts of filming purposes. Some are renovated, others are not. If you're hoping to find a dingy hole to film a gangster torture scene in or alternatively, somewhere to set up an illicit speakeasy-style brewery or Breaking Bad-type chemical processing plant, there are the right sort of spaces available.
As far as business-style premises are concerned, take a quick look and you'll come across dance studios, yoga studios, hair and nail salons, bars and restaurants, and even a laundromat complete with coin-operated machines.
There are lots of loft apartments with classy décor, some overlooking the neighborhood’s famous park and others with views that are not quite so enticing. There are also apartments and rooms with dubious décor, but you never know when they might come in useful if the script you're working from features an eclectic character who loves pink. Need a Gothic-looking mansion? Yes, there are a couple of those too, whose owners would be only too happy to see you filming on their premises.
Special Requirements in Westlake
Filming In McArthur Park
If you want to use McArthur Park as a filming location, you'll need to adhere to the special requirements set out by the Los Angeles Parks Organization. LA Parks control well over four hundred parks, McArthur Park among them, plus numerous recreation centers, and even though they don't issue film permits, they have their own film office.
Once you've concreted the exact dates you want to shoot and in which part of the park, you will need to contact, in person, the Park Film Office. They will let you know if the dates you want to film are okay and if your production is feasible for the location you've chosen. Depending on the type and size of the production, the Park Film Office may require you to have a park monitor present during the shoot.
The attendance of a monitor is charged to the production company by the hour and is completely separate from any fee incurred for having a FilmLA monitor on set. Once the Park Film Office has given you the thumbs up for filming, you will be able to state the park as one of the locations on the filming permit to be issued by FilmLA.
Fees For Filming In McArthur Park
Filming - $450 per day
Set Up & Clean Up - $150 per day if required
Catering - $225 per day if required
Water/Electricity - $75 per day if applicable
Spot Check - $150
Park Monitor - $38 per hour
NB: In some cases, but not all, location fees may be waived for student and non-profit organization productions.
Special Effects Permits
To be able to use any kind of special effect during your film shoot in Westlake, you will first need to obtain a Special Effects Permit. FilmLA does not issue this type of permit. Special effects permits are issued by the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Public Safety and Film Unit.
Special effects are classed as fireworks, pyrotechnics, open flames including lanterns and candles, fake weapons, and the firing of fake ammunition. You can download an application form for a special effects permit from the FilmLA website. Once you've completed it, you can submit it by mail, fax or email.
LAFD address :-
Los Angeles County Fire Department
Fire Prevention Division – Public Safety and Film Unit
14425 Olive View Drive
Sylmar
California, 91342
This type of permit can take up to two weeks to process, so don’t leave applying to the last minute.
Special Effects Permit Fee - $288
Filming With Animals
While your script might not call for tigers being let loose on the streets of Westlake or prowling around McArthur Park, it might involve an animal of some description. If your protagonist has a pet dog, cat, snake, rat, or parrot, you'll need an Animal Exhibition Permit to be able to film with them.
Animal Exhibition Permits are issued by the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control. You will find an application form on the FilmLA website in the Los Angeles County special requirements section. You can only submit the form to the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control by mail. It can take up to two weeks or more to process.
Mail the completed form and with the correct fee in check form to:-
County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control Facility License Program
12440 E, Imperial Highway
Suite 603, Norwalk
California, 90650
Cost of an Animal Exhibition Permit
Permit - $250
Each Additional Day - $25
What Does it Cost to Film in Westlake?
Although the Westlake authorities are in the process of trying to attract more commercial enterprises to the neighborhood, permit fees in Westlake are the same as in most other neighborhoods of Los Angeles. There are minimum fees applicable to all film productions, but the final fees will depend on the size and nature of the production. The permit fees are not inclusive of any charges you may incur for the hire of private or public property. All fees have to be paid before you can collect your film permit.
Additional Fees
The total fees applied to your filming permit in Westlake will vary depending on the locations used, the impact and duration of the proposed filming activities, and the type of production project. Production companies should also pay government-required fees when obtaining the permit. It’s also important to note that FilmLA does not set, control, or manage any fees charged by its government partners for filming-related activities in the area.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Westlake?
Westlake is a compact neighborhood covering less than three square miles of Los Angeles city. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in population as it is home to well over a hundred and twenty thousand people. Westlake is completely surrounded by other neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles. To the west is the neighborhood of Koreatown, to the south is Pico-Union, to the northwest is East Hollywood and to the east is Downtown LA. The borders of Westlake can be more easily defined by roads and freeways as the urbanizations have a tendency to merge. Hollywood Freeway forms Westlake's northern border, and the Santa Monica Freeway its southern. All of the neighborhoods around Westlake fall under the jurisdiction of FilmLA for film permitting.
Outreach in Westlake
Outreach in the areas of Los Angeles that fall under the jurisdiction of FilmLA is compulsory. Fortunately for filmmakers who have chosen Westlake as a shoot location, outreach is part of the service provided by FilmLA. It's not a free service, they charge a standard fee for it, but it's better than having to distribute notifications to the community around your shoot location.
While that sounds great, it's not always the end of it. If anyone notified by FilmLA of your upcoming filming activities should express concern or not be in agreement for whatever reason, you may need to conduct a survey. Surveys are not part of the service provided by FilmLA.
To conduct a survey correctly you will be required to go from door to door of all the homes and businesses within a set radius of the film shoot. You will be required to obtain signatures from the residents and business owners stating they have no objection to what you want to do. You will be required to submit the results of the survey to FilmLA. Don't consider faking it, they've seen plenty of surveys before.
Community Management in Westlake
While no-one expects problems to arise during a film shoot, life and people can be unpredictable. Westlake has a large Latino population, so it would be in your best interests if you're considering filming there to have a Spanish-speaking community manager on the team.
Someone bilingual with the right attitude will be able to rapidly diffuse any unexpected situation before it escalates out of control. That can only be a bonus and well worth the investment, no matter how small your production is going to be.
Conclusion
Westlake has some great film location features, but also some features that might put you off considering filming there. Don't be. With the right organization and the right people on your team, Westlake will offer you something that many other filming locations in Los Angeles can't. All you have to do now is check it out for yourself to discover its indisputable movie magic. If you're still in doubt, watch Training Day again, and you won't need any more convincing.