SF Production Jobs Threatened by New Ordinance 140854

Please help keep SF a competitive place to make films.  Thousands of jobs depend on it.  Please do your part, and call the numbers below and advocate for the original neighborhood notification language to stand.

Thanks!

-Joe

Notice I received from FilmSF:

ACTION NEEDED NOW IN ORDER TO KEEP SF FILM FRIENDLY AND KEEP PRODUCTIONS HERE!!!!

What You Need to Do:  CALL    Supervisor Malia Cohen's office @ (415) 554-7670  IDENTIFY WHICH UNION YOU REPRESENT

When:  NOW

Why:  TO SAVE PRODUCTION JOBS IN SF

Supervisor Cohen (District 10) has introduced Ordinance 140854 which goes before the full Board of Supervisors Tuesday at 2pm, which would require productions to notify neighborhoods 72 hours in advance of filming - with no exceptions.  Initially, Supervisor Cohen asked for "24 hour notification, when feasible" but she changed this to 72 hours and withdrew this "when feasible" clause Monday afternoon. 

We all know that things change in the production world.  "Acts of God" can occur such as:

  • Bad Weather (rain or fog can cancel a shoot day)
  • Actor suddenly not available due to illness or schedule
  • Weather causes flight delays so Director or key crew can't get to SF to film on selected day
  • Nearby construction causes noise which prevents recording sound
  • Unexpected construction in same place as scheduled location (like a torn up street which wasn't there when it was scouted)
  • Location pulls agreement at the last minute
  • Creatives see a "better" location driving around our city and change their minds!

 

This legislation HURTS productions, and HURTS JOBS.  It is a signal to productions that San Francisco IS NOT FILM FRIENDLY.

We just had a huge win with the expansion of the State Film Tax Credit, which brings us the opportunity to have MORE production here - MORE LOCAL MIDDLE CLASS JOBS.  We can't afford to scare productions away with this type of restriction.  We support the need to notify neighborhoods - but there needs to be room for these last minute changes that we all know can happen.

Tell Supervisor Cohen this is important to you - and URGE HER TO RE-INSERT THE "WHEN FEASIBLE" CLAUSE INTO Ordinance 140854

***KEEP CALLING UNTIL YOU REACH SOMEONE.  DON'T GIVE UP!  State your Union Affiliation!

Also, call as many of the other Supervisors listed below and give them the same message, as they vote on this Tuesday afternoon.  If Supervisor Cohen won’t agree to re-insert the "when feasible" clause, the other Supervisors need to vote this legislation down.  They need to hear your voice - “ that this is important to you" - to keep middle class jobs thriving in San Francisco through production.  **There is no public comment Tuesday before the Supervisors vote – so between now and Tuesday at 2pm is the time to have your voice heard by all of the Supervisors.

CALL the Supervisors and tell them to VOTE NO ON ORDINANCE 140854

Supervisor Avalos                    District 11:       415-554-6975

Supervisor Campos                  District 9:         415-554-5144

Supervisor Kim                        District 6:         415-554-7970

Supervisor Tang                       District 4 :        415-554-7460

Supervisor Breed                     District 5:         415-554-7630

Supervisor Chiu                        District 3:         415-554-7450

Supervisor Farrell                     District 2:         415-554-7752

Supervisor Mar                         District 1:         415-554-7410

Supervisor Wiener                   District 8:         415-554-6968

Supervisor Yee                         District 7:         415-554-6516

 

ACT NOW! 

SAVE FILM JOBS IN SF BY KEEPING SF FILM FRIENDLY!

Pass this email on to your members and friends who value keeping film in San Francisco!

Thanks for your help!

Susannah Greason Robbins

Executive Director

San Francisco Film  Commission

City Hall, Room 473

San Francisco, CA  94102

415-554-6642 (direct line)

415-554-6241 (office)

415-554-6301 (fax)

 

Via:

http://twitter.com/film_sf

http://facebook.com/filmSF

 

PS-This information did not appear via a google search.  If you find a better link, let me know, and if legit, I'll forward the link there.