Alabama Film Office: Camera Ready State Agencies ® Certified Public Manager Program CPM Solutions Alabama 2014 Table of Contents Camera Ready State Agencies Project Team ................................................................................................ 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Team Task and Activities ............................................................................................................................. 4 Research on Film Guidelines, Policies, and Procedures of State Agencies .................................................. 5 Subject Matter Expert (SME) Interviews with State Agency Leaders .......................................................... 6 Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) ............................................... 6 Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) ......................................................................................... 7 Alabama Department of Public Safety (ADPS) ........................................................................................ 8 Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) .................................................................................................. 8 SME Interviews with Stakeholders in the Filming Industry and Local Government ................................... 9 STAMP ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Walters & Associates .............................................................................................................................. 10 Benedict and Associates ......................................................................................................................... 11 City of Montgomery ............................................................................................................................... 12 Research on Film Permit Processes in Other States.................................................................................... 13 California ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Florida ..................................................................................................................................................... 14 Georgia .................................................................................................................................................... 15 Mississippi .............................................................................................................................................. 16 Tennessee ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Analysis of the Effectiveness of Film Permit Processes of Other States .................................................... 17 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 20 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... 21 Sources ........................................................................................................................................................ 23 Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 24 Alabama Film Office: Camera Ready State Agencies 2 Alabama Film Office: Camera Ready State Agencies Project Team Alabama Department of Finance – Division of Risk Management Elizabeth Fralish Alabama Department of Human Resources Dr. Melody Griffin Alabama Department of Labor Sheila Black Vallarea Smith Alabama Department of Revenue Catherine Naman Patrick Price Alabama Department of Youth Services Shauntrice Ellis Alabama Public Library Service Scott Burbank Alabama Real Estate Commission Pam Oates Alabama State University Dorothy Walker Alabama Film Office: Camera Ready State Agencies 3 Introduction The mission of the Alabama Film Office (AFO) is to encourage economic growth, and an increase in commercial opportunities for businesses and citizens, by building and promoting film and related media industries in the State of Alabama. These activities include recommending policies and legislation, implementing and participating in programs and projects, and actively representing Alabama’s natural assets and film industry infrastructure. In its efforts to accomplish this mission, the AFO has encountered several challenges related to film productions using State property and/or State personnel. First, many State agencies have no written policies for location fee cost, procedures for scheduling agency personnel, or requirements of insurance coverage for filming at State-owned facilities. Second, there are no permit procedures or written guidelines for producers to review before requesting permission to film on State-owned property. Third, film producers often are not aware of laws, restrictions, and safety regulations pertaining to filming at a State-owned location. Team Task and Activities Tommy Fell, Location Coordinator for the AFO, asked an Alabama Certified Public Manager® Team to make an informed recommendation on an efficient, cost effective, and informative permit process that could be implemented in Alabama. To accomplish this task, this team, herein referred to as the Camera Ready State Agencies Team, conducted the following activities: • Researched what film guidelines, policies, and procedures currently exist for State agencies in Alabama. • Interviewed leaders in State agencies who have worked with productions and film producers in the past in order to gain their insight on what considerations need to be taken into account in a film permit process for the State of Alabama. • Interviewed stakeholders in the filming industry to learn more about what is involved in putting together a production and what considerations from the filming industry need to be taken into account in a film permit process for the State of Alabama. • Researched film offices in other states to determine what permit processes are in place for working with film production companies. • Reviewed the laws, requirements, guidelines, and policies pertaining to film permits in other states and the appropriateness of similar statutory and regulatory requirements for Alabama. • Analyzed the effectiveness of the film permit processes of other states and made recommendations that the AFO can use to develop an efficient, cost effective, and informative permit process for the State of Alabama. Alabama Film Office: Camera Ready State Agencies 4 Research on Film Guidelines, Policies, and Procedures of State Agencies The Camera Ready State Agencies Team began the research process by determining what guidelines, policies, and procedures currently were in place in Alabama’s State agencies to guide filming on State property and/or use of State personnel during productions. The State agencies that were researched included the ones that the team members represent, as well as State agencies that have been involved with film productions in the past. The agencies represented by the Camera Ready State Agencies Team are: • Alabama Department of Finance – Division of Risk Management (DORM) • Alabama Department of Human Resources (ADHR) • Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) • Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) • Alabama Department of Youth Services (DYS) • Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) • Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) • Alabama State University (ASU) In researching these agencies, the team determined that most of these agencies (ADHR, ADOR, APLS, AREC, and ASU) do not have any specific guidelines at this time, and, for those that do, the guidelines that are in place either are very outdated or too rudimentary. The Alabama Department of Finance has a building use policy, but it does not specifically cover the use of buildings for filming purposes. ADOL maintains the Alabama Child Labor Law Release for Child Actors under 18 years of age. This one-page form has to be approved by ADOL’s Child Labor Enforcement Office and the AFO. DYS has a policy; however, it has not been updated in 20 years. Parents of the youth at DYS have to give consent for their child to be filmed. There were no other policies in place across these agencies related to filming on State property and/or use of State personnel. For the most part, the personnel at these agencies also do not have any clear direction on how to develop such guidelines. The Camera Ready State Agencies Team expanded its research to other State agencies that had historically been involved with film productions based on the information provided to the team by the AFO. The team examined what guidelines, policies, and procedures were in place for the following agencies: • Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) • Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) • Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) • Alabama Department of Public Safety