Bakersfield Production Brief — Permits, Festivals, and Local Studio Options
Bakersfield video production crews have a packed fortnight of open-air films, refreshed permit rules and new post-production space to leverage before Halloween haze settles.
Permit Pivots & Deadlines
Kern County’s online portal still waives base fees, but a $100 Fire Department permit now applies to every project—pyro or not—so line producers should file at least three business days early. City-run locations keep the separate Special Events & Film Permit; remember that student documentaries are the lone exemption from the fee tier listed in the Bakersfield master schedule. Statewide, any drone shot demands a seven-business-day lead time per the California Film Commission; schedule aerial B-roll accordingly.
Community Screens Heat Up
Upcoming Crowd Magnets
- Movies in the Park unspools at Silver Creek Park Oct 24, drawing family audiences and ambient light that can spike ISO settings for nearby night shoots.
- Cinema Under the Stars brings costumed kids, candy stations and an outdoor Shrek screening to the Outlets at Tejon Oct 25—ideal for lifestyle B-roll.
Cult & Classic Downtown
A midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show caps Fox Theater’s “Cults & Classics” lineup on Oct 25; fog machines and shadow-cast theatrics could hamper location sound within a two-block radius. Earlier that evening the venue hosts Festival del Mariachi, so mariachi trumpets may bleed into exterior dialog plates until 10 p.m.
Studio & Market Moves
- Aum Studio Productions finished a control-room refurb in mid-October and is wooing indie editors with 20 percent launch discounts through month-end.
- Local chatter spikes on social thanks to Ethan Coen’s Bakersfield-set teaser for Honey Don’t!, giving marketers easy hashtag fuel even though the film shot in New Mexico.
Gear & Incentive Checklist
- Kern County permits remain fee-free if insurance meets the county standard; city-park shoots still require Recreation & Parks clearance.
- Drive-in double-features at Cherry Acres wrap Oct 24—use their 40-foot screen as a low-cost backdrop after the audience clears
Closing Take
Whether your Bakersfield camera crew is grabbing scare-fest reaction shots or carving drone plates over cotton fields, the next two weeks reward tight calendars: file that Fire Permit, lock your drone dates, and let Fox Theater’s cult classics light up your night exteriors.
