By Daily Press staff
Fees to film in the heart of Santa Monica will increase this fall to levels more equitable to those in neighboring regions, said Linn Wile, an administrative assistant at the Bayside District Corp., which manages downtown Santa Monica in conjunction with City Hall.
The fee hikes, which were approved by the Santa Monica City Council in June as part of its 2005-06 budget, are the first in eight years, Wile said.
Half-day shoots, which currently cost filmmakers $750, will be hiked to $1,000. Full-day fees will go from $1,500 to $2,500.
All filming fees in the Bayside District come in addition to general charges collected by the city of Santa Monica.
Bayside alone garnered $63,000 in film revenue last year, compared to $35,000 the year before.
Fees will remain the same for the rest of Santa Monica, said David Carr, a budget analyst at the Santa Monica finance department.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 15, 2005. Read the original PDF.