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Journal North: Home | Sports | Opinion | Obits | Entertainment
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Las Vegas Council OKs Movie Requirements
By Dan Mayfield
Journal Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS — The city of Las Vegas Film Commission says a moratorium on filming movies during certain times of the year would, in effect, kill the industry.
A moratorium didn't fly, but the City Council on Wednesday night did approve some new requirements for the industry.
In a meeting earlier in the day, the Film Commission came up with a compromise bill for councilors to consider.
After heated discussion over provisions requiring more notice for locals of filming and higher fees for filmmakers, the Las Vegas City Council unanimously approved a plan. It includes new fees and a requirement that residents get two weeks notice in advance of any filming in the area, along with avenues of redress for issues the city may have with film crew activities.
The City Council also decided that film crews would need approval from 61 percent of affected people (those whose driveways are blocked, for instance) before a shoot could take place.
That element was particularly contentious. “These kinds of things lead to extortion,” said location scout Michael Dellhein. He said he fears residents will start exploiting film companies, demanding cash, for example, in return for their approval signatures.
The list of films that have used Las Vegas recently as a set is long, from “The Longest Yard” to “Wild Hogs,” “Beer For My Horses” and the Oscar-winning “No Country for Old Men.” In July, the film “Paul” is to shoot in town.
The fear was that new regulations would stop filming in one of the state's most picturesque locations and send a message to the industry as a whole that New Mexico doesn't want it here. “The thing is, the people are not trying to stop it,” said Irene Wolff, owner of the El Fidel Hotel. “The wrong word — moratorium — went out. The thing is, when you have film companies in your driveway and it's blocked and everything is in a locked area, we want to know. You have to talk to us.”
For example, she said, a recent film closed the main street and crews told neighbors the shutdown would last from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The street was actually closed from 5:30 a.m. to past 11 p.m. “People are saying we're trying to gouge the industry. No. They're just saying compensate us,” she said, for lost business and inconvenience.
Others in town said they've had issues with film crews closing down streets for days, working through the night and keeping their neighbors awake, and not notifying businesses of street closures. Most problems seem to happen on the Plaza, a popular site to shoot.
The new ordinance doesn't say anything about compensation for lost business, but it does require advance notice.
Some local people had advocated a moratorium on filming during the month of July and again during the holiday season, but the Film Commission said that would be impractical.
But some business owners in town disagree.
“July is our biggest month,” said Leith Johnson, of Art and Stone Gallery in the Plaza. “Any time in July local events are interrupted, and they should take priority.”
Johnson is also taking a hard line on how many of the affected areas' residents should be required to give their approval before filming can start. Those at the Film Commission meeting said that a supermajority — 67 percent — would be nearly impossible to achieve and recommended a 61 percent approval in a neighborhood before filming could start.
“That's not enough,” Johnson said. “At least a supermajority — we're all impacted.”
Though residents are asking for a lot, some say Las Vegas hasn't returned the favor.
“We were encouraged, but once we got into the details, we had to jump through all kinds of hoops, and we were almost extorted in Las Vegas,” said line producer Joel Hatch, who worked on “Inhale” in town last year. “Just to paint a building, the back of an alley, you'd have thought we were trying to secure Times Square. It became a money pit.
“It had a lot of production value, but had we known what the final cost would have been, we would probably have made a different decision.”
Las Vegas Mayor Tony Marquez Jr. said he is committed to having Las Vegas stay open to film crews, but that it's only fair to address the locals' concerns. “We've gone from an extreme of a moratorium and we've killed that, and we're making a reasonable agreement,” Marquez said. “Some people have legitimate concerns that can be worked out.”
Las Vegas On Film
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