Entertainment Industry Development Corporation News

LAUSD Renews EIDC Contract to Manage On-Location Film Permitting

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 21 PRNewswire — Citing its successful partnership with the film and television industry, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has renewed its contract with the nonprofit Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC) to manage all of the district's on-location film permits (called "licenses") and related administration. The selection of EIDC over a field of other RFP finalists will extend its contract with the school district through 2008.

EIDC has provided film production management and marketing services for the district since February 2002. During that time, LAUSD's revenue from film, television and commercial production has burgeoned, with schools now expected to earn close to $1 million annually.

LAUSD Director of Revenue Enhancement Ruben Rojas pointed to the district's positive experience working with EIDC over the past three years. "L.A. Unified looked closely at several other qualified vendors during its RFP process," said Rojas. "We elected to continue working with EIDC because of its proven track record and ability to deal with complex film permitting issues. In addition, we feel very comfortable with EIDC's status as a respected nonprofit agency focused on permitting issues."

Rojas went on to explain the growing importance of the school district's film location program. "At a time when schools face many funding challenges, the revenue generated by location shooting helps fill the gap. Fiscal 2004-2005 is on track to be the most profitable year ever(1)."

Individual schools that host on-location shooting receive 75 percent of the revenue they generate. The remaining 25 percent goes into a fund to benefit schools that do not directly generate film revenues.

EIDC provides staff members who work solely on behalf of LAUSD. It is paid a management fee to perform license coordination, accounting, reporting, community relations services and marketing for the district's 800-plus properties.

EIDC currently handles about 450 LAUSD filming days per year. It has streamlined the school district's permitting with efficient internal systems that can process permits the same day if necessary. When EIDC took over management of filming at LAUSD facilities, there were just 19 schools that had hosted on-location filming — today there are more than 200.

EIDC President Steve MacDonald said that while the list of "film friendly" schools has expanded more than ten-fold, EIDC's production coordinators have worked to ensure that this success has not come at the expense of educating students. "On-location production can provide a much needed source of additional revenue, but it should never compromise a school's real purpose."

Frequently filmed schools include University H.S. (West Los Angeles), Grant H.S. (Van Nuys, Burroughs H.S. (Hancock Park), Birmingham H.S. (Van Nuys), LeConte M.S. (Hollywood), Dorris Place E.S. (Elysian Park) and Melrose E.S. (Hollywood).

According to MacDonald, recent productions that have utilized LAUSD locations include films such as Fat Albert (20th Century Fox) and Coach Carter

(Paramount), and TV series such as Malcolm in the Middle (FOX), Cold Case (CBS) and Joan of Arcadia (WB).

MacDonald was gratified with the LAUSD's decision to extend EIDC's contract. "We have worked hard to earn the district's confidence over the past three years, and look forward to continuing to build its film location program."

He added that EIDC is also currently in talks with the Burbank Unified School District to handle its film permitting.

About the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC)

EIDC is a private, one-of-a-kind 501c(4) nonprofit corporation working on behalf of film, television and commercial producers, Los Angeles area residents and local government to sustain Los Angeles' position as the global leader in media production. EIDC is not a government agency, but holds contracts with several cities and other government agencies to facilitate filming. It is funded solely by the permit processing fees paid by production companies.

(1) LAUSD recently announced that for the first time since 1992, it has revised the fee structure for filming at its facilities. The revisions include extending "full-day" shooting from 14 to 15 hours, and raising the daily rate from $1,700 to $2,500 — a rate comparable or below the rates charged by neighboring school districts.

SOURCE Entertainment Industry Development Corporation

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