Film sector gets closeup
The film industry could see tweaked rules for setting up shop here
Val Gafka met local residents at a recent forum on filming rules in Langley Township.
Photograph by: Matthew Claxton , Langley Advance
A two-day forum on filming in Langley Township wrapped up last Thursday, with more than two dozen people dropping by to check out new proposed rules for film crews.
A series of new planned changes to regulations are intended to help both the industry and local residents.
Val Gafka, who oversees filming permits for Langley Township, said residents typically had concerns about traffic, including parking, and noise related to productions.
The average number of complaints about film productions has hovered at around 19, and it was 19 in 2012, Gafka said.
"They're largely parking and traffic related," she said.
Residents complain when they get a sudden influx of crew vehicles, either heading up and down their residential roads, or parked along the sides of their streets.
The rural areas of the Township remain popular filming destinations, according to recent statistics.
In 2012, the South East sector of Langley Township, outside Aldergrove, had the most filming days, at 118.
It was followed by 97 in Aldergrove, and 91 in Fort Langley.
"Aldergrove is becoming quite popular," she noted, with projects like the Million Dollar Neighbourhood shooting there.
The number of shooting days can go up and down wildly in various neighbourhoods.
In 2011, Willoughby was in the top five, but in 2012 it saw just three days of filming.
One of the changes pro-posed is a rule requiring a film permit even for productions confined entirely to private property, said Gafka.
That's largely for safety reasons. Firefighters responding to a fire in a barn might think there is nothing but livestock inside, when there could be a small film crew.
Permits will allow Township staff and emergency responders to know what's going on at various film sites.
There is also a student film clause, for both high school and college level filmmakers.
They'll still have to fill out the forms, but fees will be waived, Gafka said.
Township rules and fees for filming hadn't been reviewed since 2007, a major reasons they're being looked at now.
Val Gafka met local residents at a recent forum on filming rules in Langley Township.
Photograph by: Matthew Claxton , Langley Advance
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