Riverside video production now: Permits and Projects
Riverside video production teams have a frightfully full docket between 16 and 30 October: three horror-centric festivals, fresh casting calls and a streamlined—but unforgiving—permit system. Whether you’re a visiting DP or a hometown Riverside camera crew, the roadmap below will keep your call sheets undead-on-arrival.
Permit & Policy Snapshot
The City of Riverside Film Office now requires a single PDF upload that contains:
- a $1 million liability COI,
- a site map/traffic-plan overlay,
- proof of park-use payment (if applicable), and
- any FAA/LAANC drone waivers.
Packets missing even one element bounce back to “Draft,” adding up to 48 hours to turnaround. Productions shooting beyond city limits must also file the Riverside County Film Commission addendum and private-property consent form. Drone ops over county roads still trigger Caltrans’ seven-business-day window
Key timing
- City streets & parks: submit ≥ 5 business days ahead.
- County roads / Caltrans ROW: submit ≥ 7 business days.
- Downtown event zones (Mission Inn / Main St.): curb-lane permits freeze 24 hours before special events
Fright-Fest Calendar
- Neon Nites: Horror Film Nites — Sun 19 Oct, Life Arts Center; includes DIY SFX demo and Q&A on micro-budget lighting
- Palm Screams Horror Shorts — Fri 24 Oct, Life Arts Center; juried showcase, cash prizes, distributor reps expected
- Nosferatu with Live Organ — Sat 25 Oct, Mission Inn; 35 mm print, period costume encouraged
- Michelada & Taco Trunk-or-Treat — Sat 25 Oct, Mission Boulevard; cosplay cars, LED under-glow, family-safe drones permitted outside TFR
Casting & Crew Opportunities
Backstage lists:
- a regional auto-accessory spot (shoots one day between 22–25 Oct, Riverside or LA, $900 buyout)
- a gallery-event docu-shoot hiring ENG pairs Oct 20 (+ travel)
- a horror-promo sizzle seeking prop stylists Oct 29
Grip houses report LED-panel shortages after Oct 20; book rentals early
Location Gems & Night Plates
- Harbor Bridge LED Test — new multicolor wash visible nightly from Mt. Rubidoux; perfect skyline backdrop between 6–11 p.m.
- UCR Arts Fall Reception — Sat 11 Oct (archival mention) proves campus courtyards are available for pickup plates with standard student waiver
Two-Week Action Checklist
Lamp-lit Headlines
- Oct 19: scout Life Arts Center mezzanine by 5 p.m.; natural skylight for BTS stills before Neon Nites crowds.
- Oct 24: lock curb lane on Lemon St. for Palm Screams red carpet; submit traffic diagram by Oct 18.
- Oct 25: park gear west of Mission Inn; Nosferatu load-in closes main driveway at 4 p.m.
Paperwork Must-dos
- Bundle all docs into one PDF; name it “ProdName_Dates_RIV.pdf.”
- Attach FAA Part 107 cert + LAANC screen-shot for any UAV flights near the Galleria at Tyler.
- Email county addendum if your B-roll crosses into Jurupa Valley ranch land.
Closing Thoughts
Riverside’s Halloween window is short but stuffed with cinematic opportunity. By mastering the city’s new single-PDF permit, timing around downtown closures, and leveraging horror-centric gatherings for authentic atmosphere, your reels will capture the Inland Empire’s seasonal energy—no broomstick required.
