With states such as Michigan, Louisiana and New York giving filmmakers access to their treasuries through generous tax incentives, Los Angeles officials are doing what they can to stem runaway production.

Even if that means choosing an unlikely candidate to run one of the industry’s most important non-profits.

FilmL.A. Inc., which oversees distribution of local film permits, has named an Arizona state land management executive without any film experience as its president. FilmL.A. facilitates and issues all location filming permits in Los Angeles County.

Paul Audley was Arizona state director of the Trust for Public Land, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco that facilitates the conservation and purchase of open space.

Audley has an extensive background in community-based non-profit organizations and government, having served as mayor of Fairfield, Conn., and deputy secretary of the East Coast state. An attorney by trade, he also has been involved in managing media relations and financial facets of several non-profits nationwide.

“While I have absolutely no experience in the film industry, I am experienced and skilled in operating non-profits and handling high-profile community relations endeavors,” said Audley. “With the help of my very knowledgeable staff here at FilmL.A., I’m confident that I’ll come up to speed very quickly.”

Uproar at Retail

While traditional music labels have had to adapt to the consumer-driven downloadable landscape of digital music, comedy specialist National Lampoon Inc. is just pushing for CD shelf space in traditional retailers such as Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart.

Los Angeles-based National Lampoon recently signed a multiyear agreement with Westlake Village-based Uproar Entertainment, which distributes CDs to major retailers. While details of the deal were not disclosed, both entities stated that they would be pushing recordings of comedy stars such as Chevy Chase, John Belushi and Gilda Radner, among others.

“National Lampoon has a rich history in the audio space, starting with the ‘National Lampoon Radio Hour’ back in the early ’70s. We look forward to building on that legacy,” said National Lampoon Chief Executive Daniel Laikin in a statement.

National Lampoon previously announced the launch of its audio label. The division plans to release at least 12 titles a year, comprising at least six original titles and up to six acquisitions.

Extreme Outsourcing

As Walt Disney famously said, “It’s a small world after all.”

Apparently, the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Daily News and the Orange County Register agree at least when it comes to newspaper editing.

Each one of the newspapers, which are in the throes of layoffs, are experimenting with outsourcing copydesk positions to India, the world’s second-largest English-speaking nation.

The Register was the most recent publication to announce the move, with Publisher Terry Horne claiming the move could maintain local news coverage amid a tough ad environment.

“We want to keep as many reporters as possible on the street, providing our readers with the vital local news they want,” said Horne. “Given the challenges and realities facing the media industry today, accomplishing that means we need to look for efficiencies in other areas.”

Moving In

Bernhoft Law Firm S.C., a Milwaukee-based law firm that has made a name for itself recently representing some high-profile celebrities in trouble, has ramped up its L.A. presence.

The firm just opened an office in Century City after several years of operating a smaller outpost in Malibu.

“We need to be in Hollywood because this is where it’s all oing on,” said attorney Bob Barnes, a principal and co-founder of the firm along with Robert Bernhoft.

The firm most recently garnered headlines after representing actor Wesley Snipes in his tax case against the Internal Revenue Service. Despite what the New York Times called “the most prominent tax prosecution since Leona Helmsley,” Snipes was acquitted of the most serious felony charges.

He escaped a possible 16-year prison term, though he was sentenced to three years on lesser charges. Snipes is appealing.

Staff reporter Brett Sporich can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 226.