Levin Introduces Bill to Require Info on Film Shoots

By on August 27, 2013 12:13 pm in Government, Movie shoots

City Council Member Steve Levin, who represents Brooklyn Heights and nearby neighborhoods, has introduced a bill in the Council that would require the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting to make “monthly reports detailing the locations of all film shoot permits in New York City, broken down by Borough, Community Board, Council District, and Street” and annual reports that would compile the information in the monthlies, as well as giving statistics on employment and other direct and indirect benefits and costs to the City from filming. These reports would be posted on line and available to the public.

Levin’s press release quotes Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Judy Stanton:

Brooklyn Heights is a prime location for film shoots, and we have sought access to more information about filming activity in NYC. We therefore view this bill as a direct response to concerns voiced by our members regarding the impact of filming on the quality of life in Brooklyn Heights.

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  • Rocky Raccoon

    Hurray. Hip, hip, Hurray.

  • Bloomy

    Is there nothing more important to be working on?

  • MonroeOrange

    Figures Bloomy would say that…it is important..especially when they tow your car while you are legally parked and they don’t give you any notice of a film shoot..i would say that is a pretty important issue.

  • TeddyNYC

    That would be a step in the right direction.

  • Bloomy

    So you are going to cross check this report, which may or may not be published online, with where you are parking your car to make sure it doesn’t get towed? Seems a lot easier just to watch out for the signs that get posted.

  • Remsen Street Dweller

    Fact of the matter is, Bloomy, Steve Levin has been among other things working the past eight months to save our hospital, LICH. Something which your namesake cares absolutely nothing about.

    I ought to know — I’ve seen him at every rally. Also, he and Brad Lander got a non-binding resolution passed by the City Council to save LICH They also both thought our community needs its hospital so they even civil disobedience to make a statement.

    I guess Steve Levin just doesn’t have time to measure the size of our soda cups.

  • Bloomy

    I give him credit for the civil disobedience, but doing one good thing doesn’t nullify introducing a pointless bill.

  • Remsen Street Dweller

    Are you talking about your namesake’s pointless soda bill? Cause the one that Steve L and Brad L got passed was a unanimous show of support for LICH by the City Council of NY — hardly pointless.

  • Bloomy

    Never said I was a saint, and LICH is just a cluster no matter which way you look at it.

    The point I was trying to make is what good is a list of where the film shoots are going to take place? I would think requiring more days for notices to be posted, fines for towing vehicles prematurely, or limiting the number or shoots in a neighborhood at the same time would do more to solve whatever the “problem” is.

  • Roberto

    Bloomy seems to miss a key ideological point in Steve Levin’s film shoot bill: citizens of New York are famished when it comes to transparency. Like Bloomy, I suggest including advance notification of film locations as part of such a bill.
    Moving on, why not have a bill to restrict the issuance of after-hours construction permits that allow routine waivers of the NYC Noise Code. This would confront the toxic mantra: The City That Never Sleeps.

  • marshasrimler

    The city overuses our streets for film shoots that bring in $. The city starves and tries to destroy our library. What is wrong with this picture. Good move Stephen we need more sunlight.

  • Rocky Raccoon

    Often, there are bogus paper notices posted for film shoots. Shouldn’t that be illegal?

  • MonroeOrange

    Bloomy..it would be fine if the movie companies actually posted notices..but all too often, i have legally parked for the week, with no sign up that a movie will take place, and then out of the blue they will put a sign up, while i am legally parked for the week…they then tow your car with no notice as to where it has been towed…they left my car on furman street before the BBP was there, it was there for over two weeks before police located it.

  • DrewBurch

    The idea is to track these shoots. Track how much income they provide. And then take a rationale look at impact vs. their overall value. Right now we don’t have the stats needed to make an educated decision that. City hall just says it’s worth it, deal with it.

  • Bloomy

    There is no “legally parked for a week”. I assume you mean you don’t have to move you car for alternate street parking except one a week. This does not absolve you from having to check the street for other notices that get posted during the week.

    Free street parking comes with certain responsibilities. If you aren’t able to check on your car often enough, perhaps you should look into a paid garage space in the neighborhood.

  • Bloomy

    What bogus paper notices are you talking about? Do you have any photos of these, I am genuinely interested. All the ones I have ever seen look like the attached, and I assume are issued by the NYPD. If someone if faking notices, I am sure that is a crime you could report to your local precinct.

  • MonroeOrange

    that is the most asinine comment i have ever heard…you clearly don’t drive and have no concept of parking regulations. The only places you need to check when legally parked are ‘snow routes’ which are clearly posted.

    A movie certainly knows weeks ahead of time where they are filming. so therefore they should be required to put a sign up a week ahead of time.

    You must really be bloomberg..you make up your own facts and rules as they please you.

  • MonroeOrange

    Bloomy, i also assume you don’t have a problem with them towing cars on a sunday…that’s so convenient for all of us who have to work for a living…but of course, not you, bc you are bloomberg.

  • Bloomy

    I could care less what day of the week they tow you if you are not legally parked.

  • MonroeOrange

    but that’s just it…we are legally parked…it is the movies who are towing legally parked cars!

  • Bloomy

    The NYPD has jurisdiction over vehicles parked in the street. When the NYPD puts up a notice that you are not allowed to park for a film shoot, and you don’t move you car, you are no longer legally parked. Seems simple enough to me.

  • wally

    The NYPD doesn’t put up the movie shoot notices. The film production flunkies tape them up less than 1 day before the shoot. Anyone can post a sign for anything. There was a series of bogus film shoot signs on Remsen Street last year. Some speculated that a religious organization put them up to secure parking for their flock. And yes, pictures were taken of the signs.