Simi Valley resident promotes area for film production
By Sylvie Belmond
belmond@theacorn.com

Attracting film productions to Simi Valley is a true calling for Janet Waitkus, who runs the Simi Valley Film Office.

"Having them come here benefits the city in many ways," said Waitkus.

Since January, the film office, formerly known as the Simi Valley Film Council, has relied solely on financial contributions to remain operational. The office had previously received monies from the city of Simi Valley and the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce, but budget shortages brought the funding to an end, Waitkus said.

The Simi Valley Film Council was established in 1999 under the umbrella of the Chamber of Commerce. Although the Chamber stopped supporting this program financially, Leigh Nixon, CEO of the Simi Valley Chamber, said, "We still support filming."

The Simi Valley landscape has been the backdrop of many movies, including "Men in Black," "Poetic Justice" and "The Cat in the Hat," as well as popular television series like "Jag" and "The Little House on the Prairie." Simi Valley is a profitable site for studios because it’s within the 30-mile studio zone, so companies don’t have to pay for hotels and amenities for in-house employees while they work on a production in Simi Valley.

Whenever a production company does local filming, the needs of the various crafts people must be met. Area restaurant caterers must be available to feed the crew, and local stores must have the goods that grip and electric and construction teams require, Waitkus said.

"The film industry is a very ‘on-demand’ business. When they need something, they want it now and, fortunately, Simi Valley has many, if not all, of the suppliers required for daily production needs," she said.

Waitkus became a film commissioner while the Simi Valley Film Council was a program under the Chamber of Commerce. She is certified through the Association of Film Commissioners International and attends yearly conferences to do the best job she can to promote Simi Valley.

"I continue to do it because I love it, and Simi Valley," said Waitkus. 

Waitkus does get help from several sponsors who also see the benefit of promoting Simi Valley to the film industry.

The Ranch Simi Recreation and Park District continues to sponsor the film office because it’s a mutually beneficial venture, said Colleen Janssen, marketing and community outreach specialist for the district. When companies film on Rancho Simi property, a 10 percent fee goes to the film office. Rancho Simi does not use tax dollars to support the film office.

The city of Simi Valley supported the film council’s efforts for a couple of years by providing funds so the council could attend film location expos and other activities. However, the monies ran out and the city hasn’t renewed the funding, said Brian Gabler, Simi Valley’s director of economic development.

"We don’t fund any film-related activity at all," he said, "but we have a tremendous amount of filming that takes place in Simi," said Gabler.

In contrast to what Waitkus expresses, Gabler said that it is difficult for Simi to actually profit from film ventures. Studios and unions that work with them have rules and guidelines that apply to the 30-mile studio zone.

"When you film inside the zone, the studios bring everything with them that they need and they take everything back," said Gabler. "So they generally don’t take advantage of hotels, restaurants or many of the businesses that are in the community," he said.

Simi Valley is entirely in the zone and studios like to film here. "We’re film friendly and work with studios and managers to turn film permits around quickly," he said. "But film permits are not generating a profit for the city either. They only recover costs," Gabler said.

However, Waitkus said, a film office does so much more then most people realize, "You are the liaison to the production and the local community, assist them with any hurdles they may encounter," she said.

As a film commissioner, Waitkus scouts locations, maintains a photo library, responds to inquiries and produces a film and locations guide. She also attends trade shows and hosts familiarization tours, conducts direct mail campaigns and makes referrals to local support services like hotels and restaurants. 

Waitkus’ husband has been in transportation with the motion picture industry for 20 years and is aware of the revenues that a production company brings to an area when filming, Waitkus said.

"Contrary to the city’s belief, craft service, catering and construction, and many others do spend money in our community," she said. "We estimate that hundreds of related support service individuals live here in Simi."

"My goal for the film office is to find funding so it can continue to operate at its fullest potential," Waitkus said. "I hope that it can rekindle its relationship with the city in the future. Without a film office, the city and the community are sure to lose revenue," she said.