In a move aimed at fighting runaway production and reasserting Los Angeles as the capital of global filmmaking, Mayor Karen Bass has signed an executive directive to cut red tape and streamline city services for film and television crews. The directive, announced Tuesday, instructs departments to reduce permitting costs, simplify access to iconic filming locations like Griffith Observatory and the Port of L.A., and limit on-set staffing requirements to a single city liaison—eliminating the need for multiple city employees, which in the past could include firefighters and retired police.

“We’re taking bold action to support our legacy industry,” said Bass, who emphasized that keeping production in L.A. means keeping thousands of union jobs in L.A. as well. The executive order follows a motion by Councilmember Adrin Nazarian to reduce bureaucratic barriers, lower location fees, and fast-track permit approvals for shoots on city-owned property. “We need to cut the red tape and roll out the red carpet,” said Nazarian. “Production isn’t just essential to our economy—it’s core to our identity.”

This new city-level directive lands as state and federal leaders also search for solutions to counter production flight. California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing to expand the state’s tax credit program, while a federal proposal backed by Jon Voight and currently under review by the Trump campaign looks to offer nationwide incentives to keep jobs in the U.S.

The urgency is clear. Los Angeles-based producers and crew have watched job opportunities evaporate over the last several years—first due to COVID shutdowns, then the dual strikes, and more recently, the city’s increasingly burdensome permitting landscape. “We want to film here—but we leave because we have to,” said Producers United member Jamie Patricof. “Mayor Bass’ leadership signals that the City is finally listening. She’s making production in L.A. viable again.”

While Los Angeles continues to battle rising costs and out-of-state competition from places like Georgia, New Mexico, and Ontario, the directive is a signal that local government is getting serious about defending its status as the heart of the entertainment industry. For the thousands of workers and creatives who call L.A. home, it could be the first real step toward keeping Hollywood where it belongs.