Pick by the format you need. Bonfire Labs suits technology companies that want a brand campaign and its films from one studio; Capitola Media is built for corporate, recruiting and product videos shot to one standard in several cities; STMNT Studios fits startups that want studio shoots at a published price; and MediaOne Studios is the choice for live-streamed keynotes, investor events and conferences. The answers below cover three questions that come up on most Bay Area shoots: drones, AI likenesses of performers and the cost of a city film permit.
Can our video include drone shots over San Francisco?
Often, but not everywhere. A flight for a business video needs a pilot with an FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate, drones that must be registered have had to broadcast Remote ID since September 16, 2023, with the FAA’s enforcement grace period ending on March 16, 2024, and flights in the controlled airspace around SFO and Oakland need FAA authorization, usually requested through its LAANC system. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which takes in Crissy Field, Lands End, Ocean Beach and the Marin Headlands, bans launching, landing or operating drones on its lands and waters apart from a few designated exceptions such as Fort Funston, and its permits office says commercial drone use will not be permitted; for shoots on city property, Film SF requires separate drone insurance of at least $2 million in aggregate and at least seven business days to process the request. Ask your production company who holds the Part 107 certificate and which permits each aerial shot needs.
Can a production company use AI to recreate an actor’s voice or face?
Only with the right contract. California’s AB 2602, signed on September 17, 2024, has applied since January 1, 2025: it makes a contract term unenforceable if it lets a company create and use a digital replica of a performer’s voice or likeness in place of work the person would otherwise have done in person, unless the term gives a reasonably specific description of the intended uses or the performer was represented by a lawyer or a union in the negotiation. A companion law signed the same day, AB 1836, requires consent from the estate before a digital replica of a deceased performer is used in most audiovisual works and sound recordings. Ask your production company how it handles AI voices, avatars and synthetic footage, and get written, specific consent from anyone whose likeness appears.
What does a film permit cost in San Francisco?
Usually a few hundred dollars a day. Applying through Film SF, the city’s film office, is free, but commercial and corporate shoots pay $300 for each day spent filming or parking on city property, police staffing is billed separately, and applications are due at least five business days before the shoot. The production must also file a certificate of insurance before the permit is processed, with at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in aggregate of general liability coverage and the city named as an additional insured. The city’s Scene in San Francisco rebate, which refunds city fees for qualifying film and television productions, excludes commercials, so build permit and police costs into a corporate shoot’s budget rather than counting on a refund.
