West Hollywood wants to be a star.
The city is trying to lure film crews that are shooting movies, TV shows and commercials to the legendary Sunset Strip, and the city’s swanky clothing boutiques and upscale eateries.
So the West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau teamed up with the city’s film office in May to launch a marketing initiative, dubbed Film West Hollywood. The centerpiece of the initiative is a website that connects location managers with West Hollywood businesses. So far, more than 125 West Hollywood businesses have signed up to be featured on the site.
The bureau kicked off the Film West Hollywood campaign by giving location managers day- and nighttime tours of several businesses, including rock ’n’ roll-themed boutique J Gerard Studio and the adjoining Peace Gallery.
Julia Gerard welcomes the opportunity to have film crews at her Melrose Avenue stores, which feature such eclectic décor as a steel wall engraved with peace signs.
Gerard said any filming would be great publicity for the boutique, which sells clothing she designs and manufactures in a back room, and the gallery, which sells T-shirts, cups and other products covered in the peace sign.
“It gives you so much exposure,” she said. “Everything that touches television is like magic.”
Gerard charges production companies $3,000 a day per store when she has to close due to filming at the café next door, a frequent location for the “Entourage” series. She would charge more if crews filming at her store needed her to move displays.
While she thinks the marketing campaign will boost the amount of filming done in West Hollywood, Gerard said the cost of filming there could send some productions to the city of Los Angeles. West Hollywood charges $1,100 per permit for motion picture and video photography productions. By comparison, Los Angeles charges $625.
But Terry House, West Hollywood’s film liaison, said the City Council is looking into adopting a yearlong pilot program that would waive or reduce the permit fees for smaller productions.
West Hollywood issues about 300 to 400 filming permits each year. Those include still photography permits. House said he’s expecting to see an uptick in the number of permits issued due to the new marketing campaign.
