英语文摘:Los Angeles mayor vows to curb film production exodus

LOS ANGELES, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vowed on Tuesday to take every step necessary to stop the flight of filmmaking from the city.

"The entertainment industry is the bedrock of Los Angeles and we are taking the necessary steps to keep our signature industry here where it belongs," Villaraigosa said.

The measures include providing a more convenient power source for filmmaking equipment and letting production crews park free in certain city-owned garages, according to the mayor.

The city had installed "power nodes" which derived clean energy from a fuel cell and were compatible with most filming equipment so filmmakers did not have to use costly, noisy, diesel-burning generators on location shoots, he said.

"The new film power nodes reduce the cost, hassle and environmental impact of filming in Los Angeles and make the entertainment capital the ideal location for film production," the mayor said.

Meanwhile, the city council's Jobs and Business Development Committee on Tuesday endorsed Film L.A.'s plans to draft a marketing plan to draw more filmmakers to Los Angeles.

The committee pledged that filmmakers could continue to shoot in most city buildings without a fee -- at least for four more years.

The proposal comes months after New York raised its own fees for filming permits.

The panel also agreed to let production crews park for free at certain Department of Transportation and General Services Department lots during non-operating hours. They would be given a discount during operating hours.

"Making it easier to film in Los Angeles means more jobs for local residents and more money in our local economy, which is why the L.A. City Council has made it clear that helping facilitate local filming is a priority," Councilman Richard Alarcon said.

"All of today's actions continue moving us toward being a more film-friendly city and show our commitment to filming through concrete actions, not just words," he said.

All of the committee's recommendations still require the approval of the full city council.