Jessica Belkin and Noah Beck are seen on the set of 'Baywatch' on March 17, 2026 in Venice, California. MEGA/GC Images/Getty Images Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, aware of the city’s deepening production crisis — now a flashpoint in her reelection bid — appointed a filming czar to act as a liaison between entertainment productions and city departments. Steve Kang, a seasoned community affairs executive, started last year, running the Board of Public Works. He spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the on-a-deadline diplomacy of collaborating with producers who are burning budget by the minute, fellow municipal bureaucrats with their own fiefdoms and other stakeholders, from NIMBY residents to small-business owners.
Define your role, as it relates to the industry.
The mayor has really empowered me to cut through the bureaucracy to resolve any permitting or film-related issues in the entire city of L.A. That has been an ask of the industry for a very long time — that she appoint a high-level appointee in the City that can go across the complex intricacies of the City to resolve all the issues.
Let’s use the recent agita about the Baywatch reboot as Exhibit A.
There was a lot of misinformation. For the City, I knew firsthand we were trying our best. [The producers] were originally going to shoot in Australia but ultimately decided to come back home to Los Angeles. So, on my end, I wanted to roll out the red carpet.
They erected a temporary lifeguard structure on Venice Beach. There were issues with our Building and Safety Department. There were also some gray areas involving the beaches [themselves]. I was able to help override and provide expedited review. At the direction of the mayor and the council member of that district, we are providing the production with a 20 percent discount at our City lot in Venice Beach, which will be impactful on their budget.
We’ve also been having calls with our L.A. County counterparts. I think where [Baywatch] got caught up is in Beaches & Harbors, which is a County jurisdiction. The production wanted to do things that were currently not allowed, but we’re working through the process. Some people took that to social media and it was blown out of proportion.
We are all grounded in making this Baywatch a success. On the City’s end, we’ve really provided a white-glove service. And right now, the show is filming back at Venice Beach.
One of the key challenges to shooting in Southern California is the multi-jurisdictional overlay with the County and the state, including agencies like the Coastal Commission.
I think it would be helpful for different jurisdictions to have somebody like me. I know at the County, I work very closely with the film office there. We’ve really locked arms. Starting this May we’re going to be doing a quarterly joint meeting with our [respective municipal] departments because we’re facing the same challenges.
It’s surprising that this wasn’t already happening.
I’m surprised myself. Historically, this has not been done. Everybody was very siloed in terms of having their own task forces. I don’t know why this really hasn’t happened before. It’s common sense.
It’s helpful to have chief film liaisons who can really triage issues. One of the things that Baywatch asked about at one of our most recent meetings on the Fox lot was that they wanted somebody that can make executive decisions within minutes because things change so rapidly given the nature of filming. And, of course, that’s not Baywatch-specific. So, we’re working to provide that level of concierge service, but I think because other jurisdictions don’t have that hotline or that one person, they just have to call so many different folks to get approvals. But at least here in this City, it’s been streamlined. I can pick up the phone and even call the Mayor if I need to resolve an issue.
What other problems are you often asked to solve by productions in L.A.?
A lot of things are not sexy. To give you an example, the week after my appointment went public, I heard from members of the industry because they saw on social media that our Department of Transportation was installing concrete barriers in the historic core of downtown L.A. As you might know, that is one of the most popular filming locations in all of L.A., because we can dress it up as New York, Chicago — any metropolitan area. And the fact that the city was installing concrete barriers would ruin the shots.
So, how do I resolve this? Not within weeks, but within hours. The Department of Transportation’s mission is to save lives in the public right of way. I need to balance both constituencies. I was able to talk directly to DOT leadership. We found common ground. When production is shooting in that particular area, the Department of Transportation would remove the concrete barriers and then reinstall afterward, and no expense will be incurred by the production.
Not all the issues are with government agencies.
Right. For instance, the Hollywood Sign is a popular place to shoot. But what some people don’t understand is that the residents that live below it, on the narrow streets, do not like to be overrun by crews, and there’s also IP issues with the sign. So, you have to create a beautiful plan involving traffic officers, park rangers and homeowners’ associations. Everybody needs to be notified. You do those things in the background and you don’t make headlines.
The common thread is that this all requires instantaneous help and direction from the City.
Steve Kang is Los Angeles’ new film liaison. THR Newsletters
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