Location Scout + Location Manager R. Richard Hobbs
USA Today has a fun list of which movies and TV shows have been shot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It’s a good reminder that you don’t necessarily have to live in Los Angeles or Manhattan to wake up and find a film crew shooting outside your front door. Nor do you have to live near a famous landmark, like Mount Rushmore (pictured, in North by Northwest).
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An important part of the location scout / location manager / producer / director / photographer collective workflow is obtaining a property release or location agreement, which is written permission to use images of a property or location for publication, particularly in instances where private property is concerned. This permission must be obtained from the property owner.
Likewise, property owners should insist on a property release or location agreement being signed by all involved parties, if for no other reason than furthering the interest of a general atmosphere of understanding and cooperation.
There are many more or less standard legal forms available which should be customized as may be appropriate with the production company’s and / or end-client’s information as well as showing the amount of monies to be paid to the property owner and any special conditions as may exist.
Below are some useful property release resources:
Caveat: R. Richard Hobbs / nyc.locationscout.us is not an attorney or for that matter, a legal professional in any capacity - The content presented here should only be considered general information derived from experience in the production field and you should consult an attorney for answers to any questions and / or to check validity of any statements made or forms referred to here within.
American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) | Home > Commerce > Legal Resources > Property Releases Tutorial | By Richard Weisgrau and Victor S. Perlman
“This article originally appeared in “A Subject of Urban Legend,” which is posted in our Legal Resources area.
The whole subject of property releases is filled with urban legend, assumption and myth, along with a bit of actual law. As you know, using a person’s likeness for trade or advertising purposes requires a model release. That is because a person has a reputation to protect, a right of privacy and (in some states) a right of publicity. Property has none of these rights. So why should you go to the trouble to get a release?”
American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) | Home > Commerce > Legal Resources > Releases Tutorial | Why you need releases
“A release is a written agreement between you and the person you are photographing, or the person who owns the property you are photographing. The purpose of the release is to protect you from any future lawsuits the person might file for claims such as defamation and invasion of privacy.”
The ASMP piece directly above discusses property and model releases. The location professional will obviously be most concerned with the property release parts of the discussion, however it is probably a good idea to have a general grounding in both types of releases especially if your job descriptions cross over between location services / general production / photography / directing.
About.com | Desktop Publishing | Property Release
“Definition: When using pictures that contain clearly recognizable places or other property (such as pets), a property release protects you against legal claims by the owner of the property.”
Fotalia Blog | How do you download a model and property release?
“Fotolia offers personalized model releases to you for various situations (pictures of a minors, pictures of models, and photographs of personal property).”
… calendars, cards, agriculture, landscape, landscapes, fine art, wall, art, frame, framed, print, prints, puzzle, puzzles, business, market, Kim McClain, nikon, D90, DSLR. Model Release: Not Required. Property Release: Not Required …
ShutterPoint Photography - Random Photos - http://www.shutterpoint.com/Photos-Browse.cfm?s=5&period=14
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | (author unknown)
.jpg) |
If your dog is selected for the book you will be required to bring your dog to Andrew's Oceanside, CA studio before 7/23/9 and complete a property release …
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | Examiner.com - USA
Model Release Forms Property Release 26 May 2009 Sample Model Release Forms for photographers including Property Release Form You can purchase and download …
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | (author unknown)
Property featured is either public property (eg, children's park), is not identifiable, or has a property release. This includes pets, cars, etc which are intrinsic to the shot. There is legal debate about, for example, houses in the …
Smelly Wardrobes - http://smellywardrobes.blogspot.com/
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Barnes)
Categories: Landscape | Nature | Agriculture. Keywords: ALPINE MEADOW, FENCING, CLOUDS, FLOWERS, SPRING, MOUNTAINS. Model Release: Not Required. Property Release: Not Required. Submitted: Jun 30, 2009 6:33 PM …
ShutterPoint Photography - Most… - http://www.shutterpoint.com/Photos-Browse.cfm?s=1&period=14
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | (author unknown)
Model & Property Release Forms - Samples for 11 countries. TERMS & CONDITIONS ASMP Sample Terms & Conditions Editorial Photo's Sample T&C's Page PROFESSIONAL TRADE ASSOCIATIONS Society of Sport and Event Photographers …
Montreal Strobist - http://www.flickr.com/groups/montrealstrobist/
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | nobody@flickr.com (iIntrigue - Soon to…
 |
| La Torretta Beach Club |
Calabria is Europe's fastest growing property hot spot and La Torretta Beach Club is an up and coming area within this region. …
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | PR Web (press release) - Ferndale,WA,USA
VFI Overseas Property Release Their New 5 Star Beach Front Development - La Torretta Beach Club. "There has been a Miracle on the Coast of the Gods!" - VFI Overseas Property Release Their New 5 Star Beach Front Development - La Torretta …
real-estate.bizlenta.com - http://real-estate.bizlenta.com/
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | buy
Old Today 208 PM. Legolass. MoneySaving Newbie. Join Date Jul 2007. Post Count 7. Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts. Default Is a property release required …
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | (author unknown)
Categories: Ocean | Landscape | Nature. Keywords: ocean, fishing, man, water, nature, landscape, morning, clouds, waves. Model Release: Not Required. Property Release: Not Required. Submitted: Jun 26, 2009 2:46 AM …
ShutterPoint Photography - Most… - http://www.shutterpoint.com/Photos-Browse.cfm?s=1&period=14
Source: Google Alerts - "property release" | (author unknown)
nyc.locationscout.us | Sample Location Contracts
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…or… A New York Times Article Every Film Potential Location Property Owner Should Read
…via Mark McKennon…
NY Times | Lights! Camera! Ka-Ching! | By VIVIAN S. TOY | Published: July 20, 2008
“NEW YORKERS love to complain about television or film crews that descend on their neighborhoods, gobbling up parking spaces, crowding the sidewalks and generally disrupting daily life.
But some people aren’t complaining. They are the ones who are renting their apartments and houses to those crews, and making $500 to $10,000 a day, depending on the size and duration of a production…”
“…The movie and television production industry is big business in New York City, generating about $5 billion in the local economy each year, according to the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting…”
“…As a final word of caution, Ms. Gordon of AKA Locations said that homeowners often come to the business a bit starry-eyed and that she often tries to lift that veil of fantasy a bit.
“They need to be prepared to be invaded and not expect to make too much money,” she said. “And once you sign on for it, you have to let go and let it happen, because once you let them into your house, they’re not leaving until they’re finished.”
NYT > Real Estate
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Eyes in the Sky | May 11, 2007 in GPS, Johnny Appleseed, Nuvi, driving, location scout | by jhalbrook
“…The fact that I was once employed as a location scout in Hollywood land may strike some of you as puzzling, perhaps even perverse. Finding the locations wasn’t difficult; it was finding my way back that was hard. The art director of one show, who seemed to be alternately amused and annoyed by our outings, coined the term dipsy doodle to describe my circuitous navigation. I would approach each address as if I had to circle it a few times to get there. It was my landing pattern…”
…excerpt via WordPress.com/tags/Location Scout…
“Find other items tagged with “location-scout”:
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This page is designed to assist you in your search for other specialized companies to facilitate all of your needs. Just go directly to the sites below for further information. GOO
Established in 1933, SAG has a rich history in the American labor movement, from standing up to studios to break long-term engagement contracts in the 1940s to fight
For more than 40 years, Tisch School of the Arts has drawn on the vast resources of New York City and New York University to create an extraordinary training ground for the individual artist and scholar of the arts.
Stumped At the Video Store | The Complete Guide to Location Scouting: Manhattan Edition with John Fedynich | by Chris Neumer; e-mail Chris
Location Scouting - Article - Stumped? - Stumped At the Video Store is a Magazine About Movies, DVD releases, actors, filmakers, and more.
“It takes a lot more than one might imagine to secure locations and shoot in New York City. Veteran location manager, John Fedynich, takes Chris Neumer on his own location scouting expedition and together the two find the perfect Manhattan alley, stumble into some intriguing neighborhoods and deal with unexpected problems. After this article, you’ll never look at that Fifth Avenue setting in the same way again.”
This is a wonderful article that someone added as an external link somewhere along the way to the Wikipedia Location Scouting article
update 4/15/2008: general cleanup | original timestamp: April 15, 2006 @ 20:43
Wired 14.06: The Rise of Crowdsourcing
“Remember outsourcing? Sending jobs to India and China is so 2003. The new pool of cheap labor: everyday people using their spare cycles to create content, solve problems, even do corporate R and D.”
Technology and business models are changing daily… one has to play their best game and make wise, sometimes complicated choices to be successful in the world of commercial photography. Ability to adapt, change be flexible and think on one’s feet is a prerequisite in the world of selling imagery for profit… not that that is anything new.
Changes in commercial photography (as well as film, tv and video ) markets directly affect the production (including location services) industries. Articles such as this help provide insight as to marketing and planning for location scouts / location managers as well.
Wired Top Stories
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update 4/11/08: added map, feed, general cleanup | original timestamp: May 30, 2006 @ 09:03
New York Times | In Person | Giving Commercials Their Best Shot | By DEBRA GALANT | Published: October 26, 1997
To David Fitzgerald, New Jersey suburbia essentially breaks down into two basic types: Norman Rockwell and Edward Scissorhands.”
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Period Features Newsletter | …via rrhobbs.us
“Period Features is a small company based in the attractive market town of Leek, on the edge of the Peak District . We aim to be an outstanding source of products for period homes, and to always provide excellent, friendly service.”
I found a trackback on rrhobbs.us and asked myself, “what in the world would a period furnishings shop in England have to do with a location scouting website like mine?”
So I followed their link to their newsletter to the “Enquire Within” column - which contains an article with tips for owners of period homes to use getting their homes used by location scouts and production companies:
… read the rest …
The article lists my Information for Property Owners article from my FAQS as well as links to several other websites with links for listing properties for use as film, photo, video / tv or event locations:
It’s always fun and interesting (and often useful) to find out about other people, companies and organizations around the world involved in activities the same / similar or otherwise related to what you do 
LifeHacker: Stuff We Like | Add Wireless Sync To Your Camera with Eye-Fi | …via Gizmodo
“The Eye-Fi secure digital memory card adds Wi-Fi to any camera and supports automatic wireless uploading to your computer as well as tons of different web-based photo sites, from Flickr and Facebook to Picasa and the open source Gallery2.”
This may be old news to early adapters (the LifeHacker article above is dated 11/1/2007) but it is news to me!
News of gadgets like this make location scouts (like moi 
salivate!
…or at least seriously consider if the product has practical uses and whether it is worth the $99 price tag (or the hassle to return it?) to find out?
(Wikipedia - Secure Digital Card):
“Secure Digital (SD) is a flash (non-volatile) memory card format developed by Matsushita, SanDisk and Toshiba for use in portable devices, including digital cameras, handheld computers, PDAs, mobile phones and GPS units, as well as the Nintendo Wii video game console. SD card capacities range from 8 MB to 32 GB as of 2008, although sizes less than 128 megabytes are rarely sold in stores.”
What is unique about the Eye-Fi Card is that in addition to the storage media, it contains a wi-fi transmitter!
Manufacturer’s tech specs and requirements:
Technical Specifications -
Wi-Fi Security: Static WEP 40/104/128, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK Range: 90+ feet outdoors and 45+ feet indoors Storage Capacity: 2.0GB (1GB is defined as 10^9 Bytes) Power: advanced power management optimizes use of camera power Card Dimensions: SD standard 32mm x 24mm x 2.1mm Card Weight: 0.1oz. Requirements -
Eye-Fi Card requires Internet connection to set-up and WiFi network for wireless transfers Eye-Fi Card works with virtually all digital cameras accepting SD memory cards Eye-Fi Card works with 802.11g, 802.11b and backwards-compatible 802.11n wireless networks Eye-Fi software runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X (10.3, 10.4 and 10.5) Eye-Fi software works with Internet Explorer 6 and 7 (Windows only), Firefox 2.0 (Windows and OS X) and Safari 3 ( OS X 10.4 -10.5)
Related:
Eye-Fi
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Washington Post | The Future Was Then | The Times Have Caught Up With That Erstwhile Icon of Modernity, the Sharper Image | By David Segal | Washington Post Staff Writer | Wednesday, February 27, 2008; Page C01
“For all of its flaws as a business, nobody can accuse the Sharper Image of over-promising. Then the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced it would close 90 of its roughly 180 stores “as soon as possible.” …What are we losing? A world of luminescent safety leashes, hideaway gyms, telescoping ladders –”
A trip to any upscale mall for me always warranted a stop at Sharper Image.
As intriguing as the store visit always proved, truthfully, as a location scout (or otherwise production professional) I never actually bought much, as amusing as vibrating armchairs and inflatable travel pillows could be… I am sure they must sell GPS’s, compasses, walkies and number of electronic gadgets types like me tend to become obsessed with… the feeling is always, “that’s kewl, but I’ll bet I can it cheaper at another store or buy it online?” - Maybe I am just a bit too practical (?) - paying for the privilege to shop in a “posh” mall as opposed to finding a lower price in a perhaps more utilitarian atmosphere was never an overriding priority for me - maybe much of the buying public in general has grown so as well and maybe this is at least part of Sharper Image’s problem (?)
As many other “mall magnets” are discovering, there seems to be a trend of potential buyers making the trip to the mall to look - then buying online (Sharper Image does in fact have a web storefront presence) …so then the question would be, “is the expense of maintaining stores in high rent upscale malls worth the sales volume generated by in-store sales and internet sales?” …evidently not - or maybe the Sharper Image corporate pockets are not sufficiently deep to weather a transition?
Sharper Image’s current solution appears to be to declare bankruptcy in order (I would expect) to reorganize with an alternate business model and / or with the possibility of selling the business in mind. Sharper Image is a well established brand, so I would be very surprised to see it drop off the face of the earth altogether.
The title of the Washington Post article this post was excerpted from on Digg (and here as well) is titled “Sharper Image : The Future Was Then” - and this rings true for me - when I think of Sharper Image it just seems a little tired and very “80’s”.
Google News
 Examiner.com |
Birdwatching binocular basics: how to choose good binoculars
Examiner.com So binoculars with a rating of 8×42 will give you a brighter and sharper image than binoculars that are rated 8×30 even though both are magnifying the image … |
Source: "Sharper Image" - Google News |
|
Dead retailers live on the Internet
News & Observer Gadget retailer The Sharper Image, which filed for bankruptcy protection in February 2008 and has closed all of its stores, lives on as a brand, … |
Source: "Sharper Image" - Google News |
|
As Owner Struggles, Landmark Mall Languishes
Washington Post Whitehall Jewelers, Bombay Company and Sharper Image are just a handful of chains to liquidate their stores over the past two years, a total of 843 … |
Source: "Sharper Image" - Google News |
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FindArticles in Journal of Popular Film and Television
“Journal of Popular Film and Television offers sociocultural perspectives on commercial films and television. Essays discuss networks, genres and audiences, as well as studios, directors and stars.”
Note: 2/22/08 The above article is 404 not found - RH original datestamp 2/16/08
Heldref Publications: Journal of Popular Film and Television
“The Journal of Popular Film and Television answers such far-ranging questions by using the methods of popular culture studies to examine commercial film and television, historical and contemporary.”
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# Note: Post Updated 7/22/08
Location Managers Guild of America | Who We Are
“Location Managers and Scouts are vital members of the design team for film, television, commercials, music videos and print advertising.
Our primary job is to find the settings that best represent the visual concept of the Producer, Director and Production Designer.”
The Hollywood Reporter’s Entertainment Industry Columns - Entertainment Industry Articles - Entertainment Business Columns and Articles: Location Guild Puts Scouts on the Map (offline) | By Borys Kit | Feb. 01, 2006
“The Location Managers Guild of America will enter its third year in the spring, and while the youngest guild in town is still learning how to walk, it has taken sure-footed steps toward becoming a serious professional organization.”
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Wikipedia says the 2007-2008 WGA Writers Strike has cost $1b:
“The current strike has lasted 13 weeks and 1 day, as of February 5, 2008. The last such strike in 1988 lasted 21 weeks and 6 days, costing the American entertainment industry an estimated $500 million ($870 million in 2007 dollars).[6][7]
According to a report on the January 13 edition of NBC Nightly News, taking into account everyone affected by it, the strike already had cost the industry $1 billion as of that date; this is a combination of lost wages to cast and crew members of television and film productions and payments for services provided by janitorial services, caterers, prop and costume rental companies, and the like.[8]“
…have to assume the billion bux includes location scouts as well in spite of the fact that we weren’t specifically listed.
I just keep thinking, “there’s gotta be a better way”
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Lorelle on WordPress | Content Theft and WordPress | by Lorelle VanFossen | February 4, 2008
If you are a website author, there is nothing more infuriating than finding big chunks or the entirety of your copyrighted content scraped, iframed or cut and pasted somewhere on the internet other than your own site.
Lorelle Van Fossen has written an informative article with some potentially effective suggestions for fighting online content infringements. A good portion of her article focuses on WordPress and establishing the various roles WordPress plays in its dual roles as both a blog host and open-source software provider and the differences of each as they might apply to Wordpress’s ability / appropriateness (or not) to intervene with regard to content theft claims - all information which is likely of interest and use to many people in light of the fact that WordPress is extremely popular in general; at the same time much of what she has written should be easily translatable and applicable to many other authoring platforms as well.
It is important to know the difference between fair use and plagiarism and inherent vagaries associated with same. Lorrelle touches on these areas and offers related posts from the past from her long running and prolific blog as well as an abundance of helpful external links.
In a perfect world, you or I would not be troubled by content theft annoyances but we do, in fact live in a real world, so with that in mind, Lorelle’s article is a pretty good resource.
“There are many sides to Lorelle VanFossen. One is a public speaker, instructor, writer, and consultant on web writing, web design, and blogging, especially working with WordPress.”
Lorelle on WordPress
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There is a valuable informational article on VideoMaker entitled 11 Tips for Location Scouting which includes some basic flight-checks relevant to location scouting.
By virtue of being included in an article on a site called VideoMaker, the tips would seem to be suggested specifically for those in the video production profession, however, I feel the points raised are also general enough to cover many issues and challenges typically encountered location scouting for film and photography projects as well.
Here are the titles of the tips:
Merely listing the tips doesn’t do the VideoMaker article justice, much more valuable additional information is available if you read the actual article.
A while back I included a link in a post on locationscout.us to another good article on VideoMaker entitled Video Pre-Production FAQ. Admittedly, there are lots of production links in that particular article on locationscout.us; the quickest way to find the link (if you don’t want to simply follow the link above? - duh …or maybe some other production-related link you might have in mind (?) is to do a term search using your browser (Windows: CTRL-F in both IE and Firefox).
I will be adding a link to this article (which obviously includes links to the two VideoMaker articles) on my FAQS Page.
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Coudal Partners | Kubrick Page | Set Photos From A Clockwork Orange | photos found on malcommcdowell.net
Kafka and Clockwork orange Atari cartridges. The Flickr Stream of übertalentierten 9 0 0 0 I had already times, now he however Atari cartridges discovered and at least two of it am so so more over the top awesome that I must clean-stick …
EJMD - http://enginejdm.com/
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | (author unknown)
My favorite book of all time is 'A Clockwork Orange' by Anthony Burgess. My favorite band is Bright Eyes. I'm really laid back, and my three main ambitions in life are: 1. Do special FX makeup in horror movies. …
Add Me Twitter - http://addmetwitter.livejournal.com/
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | Jacinda
2. i just try to find things similar to my favourite authors, or things that are written weirdly. think clockwork orange. 3. "what does a french chicken say when you kick it? oeuf." - extremely loud and incredibly close …
The Question Club - http://thequestionclub.livejournal.com/
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | mekki
… dressed in all-white in outfits that were like updates on the droogs' wardrobes from "A Clockwork Orange" (minus the codpieces, thankfully). …
See all stories on this topic
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | The Detroit News - Detroit,MI,USA
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess: After having numerous people recommend it to me, and hearing about it quite a bit, I picked it up. I finished this book, and it was delightful! It was real horrorshow. I loved the invented slang. …
Glasses and Jaws - http://artvirus.livejournal.com/
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | Glasses and Jaws
Absolutely awesome A Clockwork Orange is one of my favorite works an actual 8 bit adaptation of the book would be incredible …
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | (author unknown)
Upon entering, you first encounter an eerily glowing purple wall straight from "A Clockwork Orange." One turn takes you down a pitch-black corridor with trompe-l'oeil mirrors that seem to lead to rooms that don't exist. …
Entertainment: Home Impact -… - http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | Roger Porter, Special to The Oregonian
Anthony Burgess's "A Clockwork Orange"; 1962. Samuel Delany's "Dhalgren"; 1975. Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"; 1985. Pat Cadigan's "Mindplayers"; 1987. Kim Stanley Robinson's "The Gold Coast"; 1988. Marge Piercy's "He, She, …
Variety SF - http://variety-sf.blogspot.com/
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | Tinkoo
libraryann · Pro User says: why am i thinking A Clockwork Orange on this one? Posted 15 hours ago. ( permalink ). view profile · The Flooz · Pro User says: because she will always forever be "Clockwork Mezzie" by flooznyc [?] …
Uploads from The Flooz - http://www.flickr.com/photos/flooznyc/
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | nobody@flickr.com (The Flooz)
Currently leading a poll for the nation's favourite Morgan poem, an army of posters sprouting 'Strawberries' can be found growing with raucous abandon across Glasgow's 'clockwork orange'. A more delicious treat, certainly, …
Our sweet old etcetera… - http://scottishpoetrylibrary.wordpress.com/
Source: Google Alerts - Clockwork+Orange | spl5
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Shoot Online | Neil Abramson Happy “To Be At The Dance”
Shoot Online news article briefly profiles a number of directors possibly more well-known for tv commercial work, or at least known to direct commercials as well as short films or features such as might be entered in the Sundance Film Festival.
Many artists of just about any discipline lead a lifestyle of working in the commercial end of their craft - read: bringing someone else’s vision to fruition (often in the name of monetary gain) in exchange for a lucrative fee to pay for the opportunity (read: cover living expenses, other uncontributed or unreimbursed costs) to create art of their own vision…that is, unless, perhaps, the artist is somehow independently wealthy?
Directors profiled in Neil Abramson Happy “To Be At The Dance” include:
…read the rest
SHOOTonline.com
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I recently authored my second article for Wikipedia, a short definition / description of the term “location library”:
Location Library (Motion Pictures and Still Photography)
…the title is nearly as long as the article! Believe it or not, even tho the terms “location archive” or actually, more frequently, “location library” are terms I (and maybe you, too, if you are reading this - it’s not like I ever purported my blog to even attempt to appeal to anyone beyond a very specific niche of folks who work in various capacities in the film, photo and tv production communities… so unless you fit that profile the only way I can imagine you ended up here is you are really lost or really bored )
…but I digress…
I started a considerably lengthier article on the subject of location scouting several years ago:
..which I have continued to contribute to regularly as the article has matured - thanks of course to the generous contributions other Wikipedians…
Both articles are part of my efforts as a member of 
Wikipedia:WikiProject Films/Filmmaking task force
Also, altho the Wikipedia no-follow links policy is in place for very good reasons (i.e. link spam) and therefore, since Wikipedia doesnt generate any “link love“, I am tooting my horn here!
…elsewhere on nyc.locationscout.us (…references to relevant Wikipedia articles…):
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What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? - out of the blue, in association with a discussion about an article from today’s New York Post about Dan Rather’s 70 mil lawsuit against CBS, someone blurted out, “Whats The Frequency, Kenneth?”
“R.E.M. vocalist Michael Stipe said of the incident: “It remains the premier unsolved American surrealist act of the 20th century. It’s a misunderstanding that was scarily random, media hyped and just plain bizarre.”
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This interesting newspaper editorial article came my way via my email inbox via The Hartford Courant and Google Alerts wherein the Courant calls on the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism to clarify its placing Film Commissioner Heidi Hamilton effective August 21st.
The problem seems to involve questions of internal policy matters at CT state government levels and I would presume (or would at least hope) that the matter is under review by an authority in the CT state government in a position to decide who followed or mis-followed policy.
In the meantime, tho I have not personally dealt with the CT Film Office lately, Ms. Hamilton is likely sorely missed by the film production industry specifically with regard to productions with potential to film in CT.
Ms. Hamilton has been very innovative in attracting new film production business to the state by way of considerable tax breaks and other film office services available to filmmakers.
Entertainment Law In New Jersey: A Century Of Supporting The Motion Picture Industry
The article is a couple of years old at this point (how did I miss this?) and takes a bit of a “lawyerly” tack at times, but New Jersey Film Office Staff Member Steven Gorelick gives a star performance as interviewee espousing the history of and importance of filmaking to our culture and economy in New Jersey.
“Editor: How is the New Jersey Film Commission helping independent filmmakers get their start?
Gorelick: You’d be surprised how many films at Sundance are from New Jersey. Garden State was a hit this year at Sundance. Clerks and Kevin Smith’s other works have also been well received. Two Family House , which won at Sundance, was filmed in Bayonne and many other films in the competition were shot here. It’s amazing the percentage of Sundance winners and Sundance entrants that are made in New Jersey. The Station Agent won two years ago.”
note: above quote snippet taken from interview conducted and published in 2004
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I was interviewed last week by New York, NY CBS affiliate WCBS-TV, for a video news article entitled Hollywood Being Priced Out of 1 Upscale Rockland County Town that ran on the Thursday, April 12th 11pm Newscast and in extended form the following morning on the Morning News regarding a situation in Orangetown Township, NY whereby the town has initiated a $500 per hour fine for film crews present before 7a.m. or after sunset.
As I said on camera, Orangetown’s fees are exorbitant. I could never recommend sending a film crew to Orangetown under these circumstances. Film makers are not fools and contrary what many casual observers seem to think from what they may have seen on Entertainment Tonight, the production side of film and tv are not about burning thru money as fast as you can throw it on a fire, which is about what Orangetown’s fees amount to.
Directors Guild of America (DGA) publication on the subject of runaway film production
Evidently, at some time or another, someone was inconvenienced by production vehicle traffic (I am told it is one individual in particular and a review of town meeting minutes on the town website reflects a couple of instances where the same few specific residents made complaints about filming activities). The Town Supervisor, Thom Kleiner was quoted as saying they were inconvenienced by truck traffic.
The majority of film productions are very willing to work to with local residents as well as local government and law enforcement to facilitate conditions with every one’s best interests in mind. It seems like something cumulatively seriously fell thru the cracks in Orangetown.
It just doesn’t seem to all add up.
Time lost by residents due to occasional temporary neighborhood film-production traffic delays: 15 minutes?
Time spent preparing for and attending town meetings to complain: hours?
What’s sad is the town has cow-towed to these several misguided and selfish individuals. The many positive effects that film production has on a local community seems to be lost on this bunch.
Film production brings business to town. If there is a crew shooting they are likely putting people in hotels, eating in local resturants and using local caterers, shopping at local retailers and spending money with any number of other local businesses, not to mention owners of property used for locations who could be banking several mortgage payments in fees when their properties get utilised by production even just short-term.
Film production is a decent-size industry which accounts for around $5 billion a year New York City alone. In fact, contrary to popular belief, the local film offices exist not primarily as arts and cultural entities but rather as offices of economic development and the New York State Film Office and New York City Mayors Office of Film, Theater and Broadcast (MOFTB) are very active at their respective government levels to create tax incentives to attract film makers. A study of effects of New York City’s recent Made in New York Incentive reflects dramatic annual shoot day increases over the past several years which translates to a more than $3 billion increase in city revenue from film production. Tax incentives have shown to generate 30%+ returns, or, every tax dollar waived, have resulted in $1.34 in increased overall revenue.
The New York State Film Office and NYC MOFTB have both worked long and hard to attract filming to the state and greater NYC metro area, so, a town like Orangetown is, for all intents and purposes, shooting the film offices (as well as their own local economic development) in the foot.
Film Production is clean. You dont have to worry about cleaning up the ground water after a film company leaves town.
There is no doubt that for most people, being able to say that you have had a movie made in your town brings a sense of pride and most find experiencing the process to be fun and exciting.
An active local film/arts community does a lot to raise the cultural level of any town or city.
C’mon Orangetown, wake up and smell the coffee!
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Shoot Magazine (print edition) | or Seeking Deja Vu: N.Y. Looks To Fuel Spot Business (subscription required) | Commercial-making Incentives Hope To Mirror Success of N.Y. Feature Film / Television Program Tax Credits | By Robert Goldrich
“February 23, 2007 — For Alan Suna, co-owner of Long Island City-headquartered Silvercup Studios, a New York stage facility mainstay, the success of the TV series pilot filming season bodes well for spot production in the Big Apple. Just as the upsurge in film and TV lensing, including pilots, has increased dramatically since New York’s feature/TV tax credits…”
Tax incentive legislation enacted in New York at the state level beginning 2004-2005 has increased feature film and tv production significantly, but initially, somehow, the tv spot end of the industry was left out.
All that is about to change, thanks to new tax incentives that include commercial production as well.
On a local level, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcast’s (MOFTB) “Made in New York” program, which includes tax incentives, a concierge service as well as additional vendor discounts and other perks has increased film production volume dramatically over the past two years, attracting $2.4 billion in new production business including a record number of tv pilots. Like the state’s original program, the city’s current tax incentives only include films and tv shows, however, the Mayor’s Office and New York City Council are presently considering a companion program to New York State’s new program that includes commercial production.
For all of us in the film production business, including location scouts and location managers, ANY program, especially a tax incentive program that, according to figures per current programs in place quoted in the Shoot Online article generates $1.34 in increased overall income per $1.00 in tax incentives and generates new, increased business= a good thing! The overall local economy benefits as well, as film production relies on a myriad of local vendors not neccesarily always linked directly just to film production, including many areas of the hotel and hospitality industries and as “everyday” as hardware/building supplies, car services, dry cleaning and general retail to name just a few.
Specifically regarding film location services, local property owners and the real estate industry benefit and in the case of studio filming there are benefits as additional studio space is leased to accommodate increased filming. The aforementioned Shoot article also quotes SilverCup Studios (Long Island City, NY) co-owner Alan Suna reporting that business volume has been sufficent enough for Silvercup to open SilverCup East and plans are in the works to open SilverCup west on the east bank of the East River in Long Island City. SilverCup is one the the New York City area’s largest film studio/sound stage businesses, regularly hosting studio shoots for many major motion pictures, television programs and commercials.
Complete list of U.S. State’s film industry tax incentive programs (January 2007)
SHOOTonline.com
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Dave Schoner writes to me:
“In the Star-Ledger Newspaper this Sunday, Feb 25th, in the Accent Section, there will be an article written about the work I do as the Production Coordinator at the New Jersey Film Commission. It is part of their series I Am New Jersey. The series focuses on people with different and interesting jobs.”
Indeed! Dave does have a very interesting job… a job he is very good at as well!
Dave Schoner is one of my chief allies in the trenches; I call the New Jersey Film Office all the time as a location scout for help with tough film location problems. Dave is a walking encyclopedia of New Jersey film locations, general state geography and local facts. NJ Film is one of the finest film offices in the entire country and I should know, I have probably consulted most if not all the state film commissions around the U.S. at one time or another.
So- good for you Dave!
As soon as I can find an online link to the newspaper article, I will post it.
UPDATE March 8th, 2007: The newspaper article about David Schoner, Jr. of the New Jersey Film Office ran in the Star Ledger March 4th. The online version, Star Ledger Online- Location, Location, Location is here.
About I Am NJ | About the Blog
“Launched Oct. 15, 2006 in The Star-Ledger, the I am New Jersey series offers a glimpse into the lives of New Jerseyans who make the Garden State a better place.”
I Am NJ
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Yours Oughta be in Pictures… | By JENNY HIGGONS | (Original publication: October 18, 2006)
“You probably wouldn’t recognize these Rockland homes if you passed them on the street, but they’ve starred in some famous Hollywood flicks. Think your home has movie-star potential?
Charles Mouquin and his wife, P.J., barely had to break their daily routine—or even a sweat—to earn in 17 days what many people earn in a year. The Sparkill couple simply had to—all expenses paid, thank you very much—spend a night in a ritzy Manhattan hotel and briefly put their dogs in a kennel during a nighttime shoot. How did the Mouquins snag such a sweet deal? Last year they rented out their 9,000-square-foot Sparkill mansion on 19 acres to 20th Century Fox for the filming of Stay, its movie starring Ewan McGregor, Ryan Gosling and Naomi Watts. OK, so the psychological thriller’s box-office take was a drop in the bucket compared to its estimated $50 million budget. But no matter: The Mouquins still got a tidy bundle for the use of their Second Empire Victorian home built in 1873. (The couple was reticent about revealing the exact amount, but let’s just say it was a healthy five-figures.”
I am interviewed and quoted several times in the above article.
Ms. Higgon’s article, in my (admittedly biased) opinion, gives a pretty even-handed overview of what a property owner might expect in the course of an encounter with a location scout or film crew if approached with regard to having their property used for filming or during the course of a number of in-production filming situations.
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Location Works: How to Become a Location Manager
Our UK counterparts over at www.locationworks.com have authored an article on their website that addresses some frequently asked questions about entering the film production profession and becoming a location manager. Here is an excerpt:
“The job of the Location Manager can be difficult, frustrating, tedious and exasperating, and all that’s likely to be within the same day. It can also be hugely exciting, deeply fulfilling, and get you into situations and experiences that few other humans would encounter. In short, there’s nothing else like it, but don’t ever, ever expect it to be easy.”
“Location Works is the largest and busiest location resource in the UK. Our one-stop service includes the UK’s largest on-line locations library combined with a complete location scouting and management service.”
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