Unauthorized Movie Shoot on Columbia Heights

By on June 15, 2016 8:57 am in Movie shoots, Parking

As she is wont to do of a Tuesday afternoon, your correspondent was cruising the neighborhood yesterday, looking for a Tuesday spot to park., when she came across an unusual sight on Columbia Heights between Clark and Pineapple.

(I will now cease talking about myself in the third person.)

There were several vintage cars parked on Columbia, along with several unusually high traffic cones blocking off several spots. When I pulled up to take what looked to be an empty spot, I was told by a man supervising that the spots were being held for a movie shoot.

There were no signs posted, and there had not been in advance of the “shoot”; when I asked where they were, the man mumbled something unconvincing, as which point I pulled over on Pineapple to call the precinct to get some more info.

illegal shoot Pineapple Street

There were maybe a dozen or so people involved, some wearing yellow traffic vests and who were apparently there in some official capacity; others were in costume.

After trying to get through to the 84th four times without having anyone pick up (which really should be a whole separate post–this happens at the 84th ALL THE TIME), I called 311 and was quickly put through to the Mayor’s Office of Media and Broadcasting (or of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting), where the person who picked up the phone helpfully informed me that no permit had been issued for such a shoot and suggested I call the local precinct.

I finally got through (after pushing the selection for the detective squad) and was told that someone would come over to check it out.

This all took about 15 minutes, during which I was parked pretty much in the middle of their shoot and they moved the vintage vehicles around, down Columbia Heights and Pineapple. At one point, one of the men involved offered me one of their “reserved” spots.

illegal shoot Columbia Heights

I didn’t stick around to see what happened next, though it did seem as though they were disbanding the shoot and they released the blocked parking spaces.

Did anyone else in the neighborhood have any experience with these folks or know who they are?

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  • Elaine Rendon

    The other day there was some filming on Hicks and Montague. They had signs for it but didn’t block off any part of the sidewalks or seemed to be filming at the time. They also had someone filming a model crossing the street…. so I just walked right through with my dog…and crossed the street and I got a nice scolding. Needless to say I was pissed because I’m pretty sure they can’t block the road.

  • jmk79

    do you really have nothing else to do than to “tattle”?

  • Concerned

    Tax money from movie shoots is very important to the city. Moreover, there are a ton of issues that can come about by unauthorized shoots like this, including parking issues, damage to property, etc…. and that also includes everyone’s right to enjoy the neighborhood without some half-a$$ed movie shoot getting in the way. Good on Teresa.
    Next time you enjoy so many of NYC’s great and free activities, understand that these are paid with tax dollars and that holding those accountable who want to criminally evade such taxes are a bane to us all.

  • A Tree

    If they want to shoot here, they can get the proper permits.

  • CHASESGILBERT

    Totally agree. This has to be one of the more petty complaints in recent history. Certainly the esteemed writer has something better to do.

  • CHASESGILBERT

    Truly petty.

  • Love Laner

    They can *ask* you to go somewhere but you are not legally required to. They aren’t police officers, they’re making a movie/ad/tv show/etc. They have a permit to film on the street but it is still public property!

  • Love Laner

    It would be different if it were a smaller scale shoot (e.g., lots of student films and small scale fashion shoots are done on Love Lane and they simply wait for people to walk past before continuing to film) but this sounds like a larger scale production. If they had forgone the cones and just been patient about crowds etc I’d be more sympathetic to them.

  • Concerned

    LOL! Chase, weren’t you the one complaining a month or so ago about some type of filming going on in or around your building?

  • CHASESGILBERT

    I was asking because my neighbor is a complete terror within our building and was curious about whether she was breaking any laws. Not because I care about filming. I think filming in BH is exciting and fun. She is a truly horrible person to her neighbors – nothing to do with law or filmmaking.

  • Concerned

    I also really like the filming in the neighborhood, but the proper channels need to be gone through (for reasons I set above). I also saw these people filming. This was not some small job. There was a tall camera crane and several old vehicles, along with a good amount of crew.

  • CHASESGILBERT

    I hear you. I just don’t understand how it really effects people. I’d be happy to cross the street and use the opposite sidewalk (and stop and admire what’s going on). I guess I’m just not one for the rigidity of permits (though I do understand the importance of the industry bringing tax dollars to NYC).

  • CHASESGILBERT

    That’s fair.

  • Teresa

    They had blocked quite a few spaces for parking, reserving them for their own vehicles, telling drivers that they couldn’t park in the spaces they had blocked off. They were moving the vehicles around, up and down streets, obstructing traffic. There was no way to identify them (no production company or contact person) in the event that they damaged anyone’s property. And they lied about the permit–not very well. And you’re right: it was a slow afternoon. Maybe if I’d been in a hurry, I wouldn’t have bothered, but it also seemed like something that it’s good to nip in the bud, given the desirability of the neighborhood for film/TV production.

  • Diesel

    What “Tax” are you talking about? The film permits are practically free, most of the production companies are located outside the City. NYC sees very little if any money from these shoots.

  • Diesel

    I disagree, this is our home not a Hollywood backlot. if the permits were sensibly limited so we would only have to be inconvenienced every once in a while, I could deal with it. But it is almost constant, on just about any given day there is a film shoot somewhere in the area. It disrupts walking. parking, sleep and does nothing positive for the community. Hopefully we will eventually get a mayor that actually cares about the quality of life in this city and severely cuts back on the number and size of these usurpations of pubic space.
    In the meantime, I will bark at their staff and pee on their equipment.

  • Remsen Street Dweller

    I love you, Diesel. Good doggie!

  • Concerned

    I’d be angry, but you’re just a cute dog who doesn’t know how to google…

    The “Filming is Good for NYC” campaign highlights the important economic role the production industry plays in New York City: the $400 million in tax revenue generated by the hundreds of films and television shows produced throughout the five boroughs translates to salaries for thousands of local firefighters, teachers and sanitation workers.

    http://www1.nyc.gov/site/mome/news/psas.page

  • Teresa

    Speaking of major tax credits for entertainment industries… http://www.empirecenter.org/publications/music-video-gaming-land-50m-tax-subsidy/

  • Concerned

    I’d like to see a study on the ripple effect these tax credits create. When a factory closes, you always hear about how every one lost job in the factory means another three jobs lost in the community. This credit does not seem all that expensive considering all the jobs it might create.

  • CHASESGILBERT

    Filmmaking is art. And it’s happening right on our beautiful BH streets. I’m excited about the creative activity and seeing the bustle and craft. If this does effect parking, or having to use an alternate sidewalk (primarily a daytime concern), there are much bigger fish to fry. I welcome the $400m in tax dollars. And it’s hardly De Blasio (who I can’t stand and would love to blame. This program was largely created and endorsed but Bloomberg (who I love).

    Back to De Blasio – he’s ruining quite a bit of our New York. He’s just plain awful.

  • redlola

    i have to disagree. they film in front of my house, on my block and on my corner endlessly and act like they’re doing me a favor by letting me go into my own home. the needs of the residents of this community are not secondary to some momentary glitz. i am not all a groupie and couldn’t care less about their art when it’s infringing on my ability to live comfortably.

  • CHASESGILBERT

    It sounds like your experience is extra inconvenient. It’s not everyone’s experience and thus viewpoint. On my corner (where they shoot OFTEN), I’ve in no way been troubled.

  • redlola

    they told my daughter’s nanny that my child cannot sit on the stoop of the building i own…her own home…because she was somehow in their way. they yelled at me to not cross the street and wanted me to wait like 5 minutes to go home when my child wasn’t feeling well and i had medicine. considering how often they are in my area, more stressed than impressed with the endless presence.

  • CHASESGILBERT

    Well, clearly I don’t endorse that behavior. Just saying we all have different experiences.

  • redlola

    extremely inconvenient.

  • Elaine Rendon

    I don’t mind the filming. I’m not petty., I just do not like the fact they can’t get their shishh together. Either you just use the sidewalk or close the street down. I understand I can’t cross in the middle of filming, I was trying to cross the street to get out of their way and I still got yelled at. I don’t know anyone in this world who loves to get yelled at lol.

  • Diesel

    Those numbers reflect the entire film and television industry in NYC, I’m talking about the location shoots, most of the companies hired to do that work are located outside NYC.
    And don’t patronize me, GERRR

  • Diesel

    Film can be an art but very little of whats being shot here fits that description. It is mostly idiotic TV shows, commercials and general Hollywood rubbish. These are for profit business ventures, not some “artist” trying to make a masterpiece. The fees for the permits need to realistically reflect the size and impact of the productions will have on the city and they need to limit the frequency and numbers they are issued.

    I agree on De Blasio… GERRR.

  • Concerned

    Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that I was talking to Lassie or Old Yeller… You’re such an expert in the NYC entertainment scene that you don’t even have to cite a source to buttress your opinion. Kudos to you, Hooch!!!

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