Sections of Lydiard St were closed off on Saturday and Sunday to film a Victoria Bitter advertisement.

Regent Cinemas owner Steve Anderson said movie ticket sales were down 75 per cent on Sunday, when Lydiard St Nth was closed.

He said he asked Ballarat City Council about whether the business would be compensated.

But council had directed him to the production company behind the advertisement, Radical Media.

"This is the worst thing the council have done to our business in the time we've been in the theatre," Mr Anderson said.

"The whole process has been nothing short of disgraceful."

He said council should have consulted with the businesses directly affected by the filming before a permit was issued.

But council marketing and business director George Sossi said Mr Anderson was probably consulted more than any other trader.

"He's the only trader to my knowledge that feels this way about the whole shoot," Mr Sossi said.

Any issue of compensation was between the trader and the film company.

"Council's role in this is we issue permits and we make sure the conditions are met with those permits.

"He was probably consulted more than any other business."

Java Lounge owner Steve Hutchinson said his business, which was also affected by the Sunday closure, was down 10 to 15 per cent on that day.

"That's probably at least five or six hundred dollars for us. You can have a bad Sunday, but whether or not it coincided with (the shoot) I'm not sure," Mr Hutchinson said.

Gary Browning, owner of Heritage on Lydiard and The George Hotel, said both businesses had benefited from the commercial.

"We were a lot busier than we normally are. I thought it was an absolute boon for the town."

Radical Media was contacted for this article but did not respond before deadline.