FIRE RULES EASED FOR MOVIE BIZ LAW SIGNED BY GOVERNOR EXPECTED TO HELP VALLEY.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - A new law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will ease regulations for pyrotechnic devices used for special effects by the motion picture and entertainment industry, which may help lure more film and television production into the Santa Clarita Valley.

Under a current law, an entertainment company licensed by the state fire marshal to use flame-throwing devices must also acquire a permit from the Department of Justice for each device used. The procedure can take up to two months and each permit costs $377, according to state officials.

Senate Bill 1781, authored by the late Sen. Pete Knight, R-Palmdale, was signed last week by the governor. Its intent is to allow entertainment companies to forgo that additional permit. The measure will take affect in January.

The Santa Clarita Valley has long been acknowledged for its movie ranches and being the setting for hundreds of films over the years.

But industry leaders have long been concerned about runaway production - projects that are developed and intended for broadcast in the United States but are filmed in other countries because of cheaper production costs.

Santa Clarita's film industry liaison Jason Crawford said the new law could increase the area's already popular appeal. As of June, filming permits increased significantly over last year in Santa Clarita, contributing more than $10 million to the local economy compared with nearly $7 million last year. Much of the production that takes place in the movie ranches in and around Santa Clarita involves special effects, he said. One example was the 2002 film ``Red Dragon'' starring Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter. In the film, the villain's mansion, built at Disney's Golden Oaks Ranch, bursts into flames.

``By the governor signing this bill, the film industry will keep production closer to home, specifically in Santa Clarita where have many ranches,'' Crawford said. ``The industry has a quick turnaround from when they receive permits to when they start shooting. Having to have waited for up to two months was a horrible thing for the film industry and would definitely have had them look outside of the U.S.''

Knight's bill would not affect any of the other safety standards in place for the use of pyrotechnics. At all local shoots, for example, officials from the Los Angeles County Fire Department are present, Crawford said.

Those in support include the Alliance of Special Effects and Pyrotechnic Operators, Inc., who have said their work has been hindered by additional regulations after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

``Despite having practiced our trade safely, securely and successfully in California for the past 100 years, since 9-11 we have unfortunately found ourselves besieged by regulatory changes aimed at solving security problems, regrettably without taking the unique nature of the entertainment industry into consideration,'' according to a statement presented to the state Senate by the Alliance. ``This coupled with the increasing globalization and outsourcing of our work abroad means that our members are under ever increasing pressure to compete with areas where there may be little or no regulation whatsoever.''

The Department of Finance estimates that California lost 9,000 entertainment industry jobs in the month of June alone, according to Gary Weston, Knight's Legislative Director.

``It's amazing that we're making one of California's most important and visible industries jump through such bureaucratic hoops,'' Sen. Jim Brulte, R-Rancho Cucamonga, said in a statement. ``With his signature on SB 1781, the governor has supported the industry that made him an action star by removing this nonsensical impediment.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com