LOS ANGELES — Applications for porn shoot film permits in Los Angeles County have almost disappeared in 2013, thanks to concern over Measure B.
According to San Bernardino and Inland Empire’s The Sun, Film LA, the non-profit organization that processes movie industry permits across L.A. has seen only two applications from adult companies this year. This marks a significant drop from the usual 500 yearly applications.
The article cited Camarillo’s recent moratorium on permits due to the flood of porn company inquiries, Simi Valley’s condom ordinance passed before Measure B, and a Thousand Oaks signature requirement under consideration by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors that would require the adult film industry to tell neighbors if there was any nudity on set, as key barriers facing jittery porn producers.
"Most production companies have ceased shooting in L.A. County. They have other options in other states and communities," Free Speech Coalition (FSC) CEO Diane Duke told The Sun.
And other cities where the current law doesn’t yet apply including Pasadena, Long Beach and Vernon that have their own municipal health departments haven’t received any requests for permits, according to the article. But they’re not exactly putting out the welcome mat to porn.
"I don't know a community in Los Angeles that is looking forward to becoming home to the porn industry," Vernon spokesman Fred MacFarlane said. "I think everybody recognizes it's a revenue generator, but it's not something we want."
Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, said that it's too early to tell if porn is moving out, but if it does it could mean a big financial hit with the loss of 10,000 jobs that support the industry.
He noted that for now adult will most likely stay put in its San Fernando Valley home, but if the law puts the pressure on, the industry will likely move to another state.
"I think the industry is still trying to figure out what it's doing," Waldman said. "I think it's going to be a trickle effect, but one day we'll all ask, where did all this money go?"
Duke said, "Whether warranted or not, California has a reputation of being unfriendly to business and this senseless crusade against the industry does nothing more than support that reputation. This is no time to play Russian Roulette with a vital industry that provides tens of thousands of living wage paying jobs for Californians."
So where would porn go? A spokesperson for New Hampshire, that has a similar law to California’s that allows porn production, isn’t too keen on adult moving east, saying it’s not a sector of the film industry it's looking to attract. In fact, there’s not yet been one film permit inquiry from adult.
Neither has Nevada — home state of Las Vegas and legalized prostitution — seen applications for adult film production, despite it being bandied about as a likely candiate for porn's new production capital.
