Los Angeles mayoral candidate and businessman Adam Miller unveiled his plan to bring film and television production back to the city, which includes a Deputy Mayor of Entertainment, a singular film office and plans to eliminate permitting requirements.
The founder and CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand, a global leader in workforce development, told TheWrap that his experience in business makes him uniquely suited to lead L.A. through its production crisis and revive the city’s economy.
“It was because of a lack of leadership and a lack of this operational excellence that caused us to be in this circumstance, and the only way we’re going to turn it around is when somebody that knows how to manage people and processes and budgets and get things done,” he said. “I’m the only candidate that has that experience. Period.”
The entertainment industry criticized Mayor Karen Bass for not appointing a film liaison until three years into her four-year term. She appointed president of the L.A. board of public works, Steve Kang, last fall.
Miller said he would appoint a Deputy Mayor for Entertainment & the Creative Economy and create a new “Made in LA” entertainment office on his first day in office if elected.
The proposed film office would streamline approvals and coordinate directly with FilmLA, LADOT, Recreation & Parks, LAPD, DWP, Public Works and other city departments involved in the production process.
His three-pronged plan to bring production back is to make it faster, cheaper, and easier to shoot. He believes if the city can do that business can return to Los Angeles.
The businessman also stated that his plan to revive production in L.A. would be to bring back indie film and commercial production. He stated that in aggregate the small to mid-range productions generate more revenue, local business and job stability than a handful of mainstream productions.
“The small and medium productions are the bread and butter of the city and the entertainment business, and it’s what keeps people employed all throughout the year,” he said. “But we have focused almost exclusively on the big productions, and we’ve let all these problems persist for all the smaller up and coming producers.”
As for the city’s permitting system that has been knocked for its red tape and difficult bureaucratic hurdles, Miller told TheWrap he would overhaul the system and start from scratch. He specifically said he would eliminate fees on city owned property and provide concierge service that the big studios are getting for smaller production companies.
Miller also supports an uncapped tax credit program and sees it as an investment in production, generating more money in return for the city and preventing an exodus of top talent both above and below-the-line.
“At the end of the day, entertainment, while a creative endeavor, is also a business,” he said. “You need somebody that understands business to understand what incentives matter and what things work. We have to be competitive at all levels, and only a business person understands that fundamentally.”
The co-founder and CEO of nonprofit Better Angels also has plans for the live event side of the entertainment industry. He told TheWrap that he met with the organizers of LA28 recently, and that the city is far behind from a planning perspective to support the international sporting spectacle.
“We don’t just have the Olympics, we have the World Cup and the Super Bowl also. We are not ready for it, and we have to get our act together,” he said. “There’s a thousand things that need to be planned out and operationalized.”
“We have these global events that everybody’s going to be watching and have a huge impact on the future of the city, on tourism, on people caring about L.A., and so we have one chance to get it right,” he added. “Right now we’re not on our way to do that.”
Read his full proposed plan here.
The primary election for the Los Angeles mayoral election will take place Tuesday June 2. Miller will run against incumbent Mayor Bass, Councilwoman Nithya Raman, former reality TV star Spencer Pratt and Rev. Rae Huang, among others.
