NPPA Objects To NYC Proposed Processing Fee On Permits
DURHAM, NC (May 26, 2010) – The National Press Photographers Association today objected to proposed rule amendments that would establish a $300 processing fee for new film permits in New York City by sending comments about the proposal to the New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting.
NPPA collaborated with the Advertising Photographers of America, American Society of Media Photographers, and Editorial Photographers to voice its objection to the suggested change to Chapter 9 of Title 43 of the Rules of the City of New York, which pertains to the creation of a "New Project Account" application fee.
"The creation of the New Project Account application is ill conceived and will produce exactly the opposite of the desired effect by diminishing the number of productions on the streets of New York and reducing the overall revenue to the City and related suppliers," the statement said.
The associations filing their objections together represent more than 18,000 professional photographers.
"Through their small businesses they support a myriad of businesses an service providers including prop houses, modeling agencies, film labs, digital post-production services, assistances, insurance companies, caterers, camera and grip equipment sales, and rental companies and more," the statement said. "The passage of this amendment will have a chilling effect on the ability of small producers and individual photographers to work on the streets of New York City."
In the objections, NPPA joined the other groups in suggesting that the proposed amendments are discriminatory and place an undue burden on most still photographers, and that the $300 New Project Account application fee is "diminishing".
"It makes no sense to charge a television studio the same fee for a season of production as an editorial or commercial photographer for a one-day production of a much smaller scale," the comments said.
The photographers' groups went on to point out that proposed changes lack specific guidelines when it comes to waiving fees, and that the application places the economic burden on those who are least able to pay.
“NPPA is hopeful that the Mayor’s board will be as responsive to our concerns as they were in 2007 when we objected to the proposed rulemaking governing the issuance of permits in connection with scouting, rigging, and production activities," NPPA general counsel Mickey H. Osterreicher said today.
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