At a time when filming in Los Angeles is declining for the first time in years, a new policy expert has been brought on at the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., which aims to simplify the film-permit process and encourage more local activity by Hollywood.

Donna Wells, newly appointed senior vice president and legal counsel for the EIDC, says she will be a troubleshooter.

“They want to be more proactive, rather than reactive,” said Wells, an attorney who formerly handled legislative issues for the Motion Picture Association of America. “My position will be to recognize problems that aren’t going away by one solution, that may exist on a higher level. If there is an ongoing situation that evolves and changes regarding a permit problem, someone needs to handle it, and that would be me.”

Wells received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a minor in French from UCLA, and went on to get her master’s in Spanish at the same university. Upon graduating, she began translating publications into English for the CIA, and at the same time began a career in the entertainment field. She started off as a production assistant, working her way through the ranks as wardrobe stylist, script supervisor, associate producer and finally producer.

After working for the California Film Commission, she went to law school and then spent five years as an employment lawyer, dealing with sex, age and race discrimination cases before deciding that was not for her.

“Frankly I was not cut out to be a trial lawyer I was just too friendly,” Wells said. “I had a hard time with lawyers who wouldn’t deal straight. I found that very stressful.”

She worked for a year with the MPAA’s California group, watching out for legislation that might have a negative impact on the film industry, when the EIDC beckoned.

“I hope film companies will think of me as someone who can give a hand with any problem that can’t be solved. I came here to create something new, and I really like that,” she said.

Karen Teitelman