Culver City Municipal Code Ch. 11.14 Filming Activity

Section

Cross-reference:

Closed street, see § 7.02.045

No parking areas, see § 7.03.215

The purpose of this Chapter is to allow individuals and film companies to conduct filming activity in the City without unreasonably impacting the peace and comfort of the residents of the community, as well as providing a streamlined process for issuing film permits.

(Ord. No. 2004-018 § 1 (part))

Terms defined herein shall have the following meanings when used in this Chapter:

FILM LOCATION. The location at which any filming activity occurs.

FILM PERMIT. The document issued by the Film Permits Coordinator signifying that a FILM PERMIT application has been completed by the applicant, including all required documentation, the application has been accepted by the City's Police Department, and all appropriate fees have been paid.

FILM PERMITS COORDINATOR. The individual or individuals designated by the Chief of Police to administer, coordinate and supervise the film permit application process and issue all film permits.

FILMING ACTIVITY. Activity, including still photography, associated with the production of a film, video, television show, commercial advertisement or public service announcement. FILMING ACTIVITY also includes the setup and dismantling of all equipment.

PERMITTEE. The person to whom a film permit is issued.

PERSON. Any individual, corporation, firm, partnership, association, organization and any other group acting as a unit.

(Ord. No. 2004-018 § 1 (part))

A. No person as principal, agent, clerk, employee, corporate officer, partner, trustee or otherwise, for himself/herself/itself, or for any other person or entity, shall commence or conduct any filming activity within the City without first obtaining a film permit from the Police Department.

1. No film permit shall be issued unless the film permit application and all required information and documentation, including insurance and indemnification, is submitted at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the filming activity.

2. For good cause, the film permit application and related documentation may be submitted at another appropriate time but before the filming activity occurs.

B. Insurance coverage. The permittee shall be required to maintain insurance coverage in a type and amount as determined by the City, and execute an indemnification agreement in a form acceptable to the City, prior to the issuance of any film permit.

C. 1. Film permit fees. The permittee shall pay all required film permit fees as established by resolution of the City Council.

2. Exception. The Chief of Police, at his or her sole discretion, may waive any film permit fees for any municipal, county, state and/or federal government agency, government official, 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization, or student of a certified film studies course, if he or she determines that the public interest would be better served by such waiver.

D. Film permit change fee. A film permit change fee, in an amount established by resolution of the City Council, shall be assessed for any change made to a film permit after it has been issued.

E. Film permit cancellation fee. A film permit cancellation fee, in an amount established by resolution of the City Council, shall be assessed for any film permit that is cancelled less than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the filming activity.

(Ord. No. 2004-018 § 1 (part))

A. Permitted hours. It is prohibited for any person to commence or conduct, or permit the commencement or conduct of, any filming activity in residentially-zoned neighborhoods, and commercially-zoned neighborhoods within a three hundred-foot (300-foot) radius of a residential zone, except between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., Saturday; and 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., Sunday and City-specified holidays.

B. Exception – Extended hours. Filming activity in residentially-zoned neighborhoods and commercially-zoned neighborhoods located within a three hundred-foot (300-foot) radius of a residential zone, shall be permitted beyond those hours set forth in § 11.14.020 A., if the permittee submits signatures of approval from one (1) adult resident of at least seventy percent (70%) of the dwelling units located within a three hundred-foot (300-foot) radius of the filming activity, at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the filming activity.

(Ord. No. 2004-018 § 1 (part))

A. No person shall park a vehicle or place equipment associated with filming activity on a street or alley adjacent to a business or residential dwelling unit, unless the signature from a representative of the business and residential dwelling unit directly impacted by that parking or placement has been obtained.

B. No person shall park a vehicle or place equipment associated with filming activity on any street or alley, except in a posted parking space.

C. The permittee shall post "No Parking" signs, as required by the Film Permits Coordinator, at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the filming activity; except at such times when signs must be posted by the Police Department.

D. 1. No person shall close any street or alley, unless first authorized by the Film Permits Coordinator.

2. Before a street or alley closure can occur, the film permittee shall submit to the Film Permits Coordinator, at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the filming activity, signatures of approval from one (1) adult resident of at least seventy percent (70%) of the dwelling units and businesses adjacent to or serviced by the street or alley proposed to be closed.

(Ord. No. 2004-018 § 1 (part))

A. The Film Permits Coordinator may revoke a film permit for any of the following reasons:

1. The permittee's failure to comply with the conditions of the film permit;

2. The permittee's failure to comply with the provisions of this Chapter; or

3. If the permittee makes any false statement or material misrepresentation of fact related to a film permit application.

B. Revocation of a film permit may be appealed to the City Manager, and must be made within fifteen (15) calendar days after issuance of the notice of revocation from the Film Permits Coordinator.

(Ord. No. 2004-018 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 2006-009 § 22 (part))

A. The permittee shall be required to retain City Police Department personnel, who shall be present at all times during filming activity on public property, at the sole cost and expense of the permittee.

B. The permittee shall be required to retain City Fire Department personnel who shall be present during filming activity, as required by the Culver City Fire Code, at the sole cost and expense of the permittee.

C. The permittee shall be required to retain other City services, as deemed necessary by the City Manager, for the purpose of protecting,assisting and regulating the proposed activity, at the sole cost and expense of the permittee.

D. At any time an unsafe condition is observed, City Police or Fire Department personnel may order filming activity to stop until such time as the unsafe condition is corrected, and all persons involved with the filming activity shall immediately comply with those orders.

E. No person shall cause or allow filming of aerial activities, from the air or ground, including helicopter landings, to occur unless the permittee receives prior written authorization from the City Manager.

F. The permittee shall ensure the film location shall be cleaned of trash and debris, to the Film Permits Coordinator's satisfaction, within two (2) hours of the completion of the filming activity or within such other time established in the film permit.

G. The permittee shall be responsible for restoring, to the Film Permits Coordinator's satisfaction, any damaged or disrupted area before leaving the film location.

(Ord. No. 2004-018 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 2006-009 § 22 (part))

The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to the following:

A. Current news productions, which include reporters, photographers or camerapersons in the employment of a newspaper, news service, broadcasting station or similar entity engaged in the broadcasting of news events.

B. Productions which are conducted by the City or other governmental agencies.

C. The filming, videotaping or other productions by private individuals solely for private use.

D. All activities conducted at places of business, zoned S-1, or otherwise, where the principal function is producing, making, taking, developing, trading or dealing in motion pictures or photoplays, television or commercial productions, sound film or animated cartoons.

(Ord. No. 2004-018 § 1 (part))