California Film Commission

IF you've ever sat fuming in your car in L.A. while a TV or film crew snarls traffic with giant curbside trailers and production assistants in wireless headsets skipping around cables, you may wonder why other cities would lobby to have such inconveniences exported to their neighborhoods. That's exactly what New York City is doing, though. A prominent official in the administration of Mayor Michael R.

California loses more than $10 million in tax revenue when a larger-budget movie costing about $70 million is made elsewhere. A mid-size film, costing about $32 million, shot out of state means about $4 million in lost taxes. For a 12-episode drama, state coffers lose more than $3 million. The findings from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. are contained in the most detailed study to date on the effect to state revenue of runaway film and TV production.

Nearly a year after he swapped his acting career for a political role, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking his first concrete steps to aid the state's film industry. But despite his extensive Hollywood background, Schwarzenegger has yet to come up with a way to dissuade production companies from filming outside California to save money. The governor has cited that trend, called runaway production, as a threat to the state's economy.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday tapped a cast of Hollywood figures, including his former co-star Danny DeVito and Clint Eastwood, to mount an effort to keep movie and television productions in California. Surrounded by his cabinet, Schwarzenegger announced the appointments of DeVito and Eastwood to the California Film Commission, along with producer Tom Werner and directors Bill Duke and Lili Zanuck. All are Schwarzenegger friends or associates from his movie-making days.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today is expected to appoint actors Danny DeVito and Clint Eastwood, among others, to the state Film Commission. Schwarzenegger is scheduled to make the announcements at a noon appearance in the Capitol. The commission helps production companies secure permits and makes state property, such as hospitals, historic homes and vacant offices, available for filming.

Tova LAITER has fallen in love with the backers of her new comedy, "Elvis Has Left the Building," which stars Kim Basinger as a Pink Lady beauty consultant who accidentally kills several Elvis impersonators and ends up on the run from the FBI. "I've never dealt with people so polite and professional," says Laiter, a producer who began shooting the film Sept. 15 with director Joel ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") Zwick.

Karen Constine, a top aide to City Councilwoman Laura Chick, has been appointed director of the California Film Commission, Gov. Gray Davis' office announced Wednesday. Constine, 40, will be the third person to lead the commission, which serves as a liaison to local film agencies and oversees filming on state property. She replaces Patti Stolkin Archuletta, who resigned in March just after Davis took office.

For the most part, Hollywood's Christmas wish list in Sacramento amounts to nothing. And that's exactly the point. Despite an extraordinary production boom for the last five years, and successful efforts lately by California to fend off other states seeking to steal movie, TV and commercial production, industry and state film officials warned during an Assembly hearing Monday that disincentives could be lurking.

With an alarming share of production moving out of state and California in need of a boost, the California Film Commission hoped NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory might use its technological talents to earn a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.