If filmmakers get hassled in L.A., they'll always have Paris

Producer Gavin Polone ("Panic Room," "Gilmore Girls," "Curb Your Enthusiasm") finds the city of lights to be more accommodating - and it has nothing to do with the government doling out tax incentives, which seem to be everybody's answer (however misguided) to runaway production. From NY magazine:

I wanted to get one shot on Beverly Hills's Rodeo Drive to give it some verisimilitude. Our production team wanted to scrap the idea, citing an estimated $25,000 price tag. This seemed truly insane: We needed only one shot, no sound, no visual effects, no stunts, etc. They broke it down for me: Fifteen thousand dollars for the two hours it would take our 70-person crew to set up, shoot, and wrap. The location permit in Beverly Hills would cost $7,500. And depending on when we planned to shoot, we might need to pay a location fee to one or more of the stores on the street where we set up, even if we didn't interfere with their business. This seemed possible since all store owners seem to sense a location fee is in the offing as soon as they see a production crew. They'll often call the police or sometimes just get in your way or yell while you are shooting dialogue to try to ruin the take.

[CUT]

When my partner on the show, April Blair, and I asked if we could just go out alone with a digital camera and shoot the two actresses walking down the street, it was immediately rejected by the studio, whose owner is the Walt Disney Corporation; this would violate union rules and most certainly lead to grievances and fines.