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Seen & Heard: “Ninja Turtles” Street Closures
••• My panties got in a twist today when the notices that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 crew posted proved to be not quite accurate. They warned of “intermittent traffic control for both vehicles and pedestrians,” but here’s Duane Street’s report: “Multiple streets between Greenwich and Hudson, including Duane, Jay, Harrison, and Franklin, were completely closed off to traffic and pedestrians were discouraged. […] Numerous people in my building had a hard time accessing. For example, a single mom with kids in a car had really hard time getting to our building.” Duane Street also “heard that they have made donations to Duane Park and Tribeca Trust,” which is a nice gesture. UPDATE: Two hours later, Duane Street emailed me. “I was just told I couldn’t go to Duane. They finally escorted me two blocks to my door. I taped it, and a production person said, ‘You can’t record. I can see you’re taping.’ Since when can’t people make video? This is a public street, for crying out loud.”
••• Related: Greg Schwartz (of the Stork undershirt service) tweeted a video of a car chase scene from the filming. You don’t have to be on Twitter to watch it.
••• From L.: “What’s up with the people scattered in front of Whole Foods and around the hood trying to sell red paper bags with makeup?” I’ve never noticed them or been approached, but then I’m flawless not part of the target demo. Anyone ever investigated? I suspect that kind of hawking—such as Handy’s pictured below, and the tacky little Enterprise CarShare booth that moves here and there—will only increase.
••• The old one-story garage at 438-440 Greenwich (Vestry) is being more or less torn down and not “restored and converted” (as noted here), but at least the new building looks like it’ll be made with real bricks. It’s going to be, at least at the start, a sales office for the big condo going up at 268 West. Rendering below. (Also, about that big ad in the rendering: I’ve always wondered why anyone would want to advertise there.)
••• Design Shanghai tweeted this photo of a skylight mobile by Inés Esnal for a Tribeca apartment. The image (by Miguel de Guzman) that I borrowed from Esnal’s site includes “Greenwich” in the file name, so I guess we can assume it’s on that street. I hope we get to Loft Peep it someday.
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You know, during any major parade in NYC there are times you can cross the street. Even during the 5 boro bike tour, police help people cross Church. So while the PA’s are very nice about telling you that you can’t walk down Duane or cross Hudson, it’s really quite insane that they aren’t letting people cross certain blocks – even between shoots.
Is there anyway to discourage film permits from being granted in the neighborhood?
“When cameras are not rolling pedestrians must be allowed to walk along any city sidewalk and gain access to any building.”
http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/permits/communityoutreach.shtml
http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/for_residents/faq.shtml
“Will I still be able to get to my residence/work/local businesses?
Absolutely. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow is maintained at all times, and an NYPD officer is assigned to many exterior shoots. Occasionally, you may be asked to pause for a few moments during the filming of a scene. Enjoy the show. Your patience and cooperation is much appreciated. […]
What should I do if the crew is rude or if the production company creates a problem?
The Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting expects crews to be courteous and accommodating to residents and merchants at all times. Production should always provide safe pedestrian walkways and allow vehicular access for buses, sanitation trucks, delivery trucks, moving vans and resident vehicles. The OFTB has partnered with Brooklyn Workforce Innovations to train production assistants to be polite and address the public’s needs. Your first course of action is to explain the situation to the production assistants on set. If the situation is not rectified, check the production signs for the name and phone number of the location manager on the shoot. Additionally, larger shoots will have police officers who can assist you. If a problem remains, contact the OFTB immediately by dialing 212-489-6710, so that the problem can be rectified while the project is still in production. After business hours, you can contact a Supervisor of the NYPD Movie/TV Unit at 646-739-9900. Do not wait until after the shoot. The OFTB will take appropriate action right away. By the same token, if a crew works particularly well with your neighborhood, share your positive experience and call us!”
I have to chime in on how intrusive these film shoots have become to our neighborhood. The inconvenience to local residents doesn’t seem to be factored in to the allotment of permits.
Yesterday was probably the worst it’s ever been. The entrance to my building was blocked all day and film personnel sat on the railing along our ramp despite being repeatedly asked by the doorman to move (and it not being built for seating!) They were also crowding into our vestibule. Tempers were getting frayed and the police didn’t get involved.
Regarding getting “escorted:”
We came out of the Chambers Street station, and were walking on the sidewalk towards Duane St. No filming was happening. It looked like they were setting a few things up.
Right after Morgan’s market, we were approached and told that we couldn’t walk on the sidewalk. I said that I lived on Duane, and had to insist that, yes, it was that building, on the corner. So they said that they’d have to escort us. When I asked why (were on the sidewalk and wouldn’t be crossing a street where they were actually filming, she said “it’s dangerous, we have cars coming through.” Meanwhile, lots of people are passing us going in the other direction, without escorts. I started taking a camera video of the encounter, when a staffer told me that I wasn’t allowed to record, which I found laughable, given the number of crowds who showed up to take pictures or video of the the entire day.
While many of the staffers were significantly more polite than during the last two filming sessions, ice coffees were left on our stairs, staffers camped under the awning, and general access to our building was significantly restricted. Given that this is the 3rd time they have taken over Duane Street, I definitely saw tempers flare.
One last thought: I keep wondering why the city would let a “dangerous” stunt take place in an area that is overwhelmingly residential, known for young families, and loaded with landmarked buildings.
I worked as a PA for on location NYC shoots. If the person asking you to stop isn’t a cop, keep walking – cameras rolling or not. PAs can say anything they want – but not being officers of the law, they cannot touch you or physically impede your progress, permit to film or not. Just don’t look into the cameras. That’s what really ruins the shot.
I was told to turn around and then to “hustle” when I said no.
They’ll say anything to get you to do what they need you to do, because it’s their job if you don’t. It’s the way of that industry, and where it gets its rep for lies and harassment. There’s no personnel office for a film crew. Some PAs aren’t bright either – trickery always works. If someone refused to stop, I would tell them, “OK, but please don’t look in the cameras in that window” and then I’d point across the street to a window where the cameras weren’t. Instant extras.
On Saturday I was trying to go up North Moore Street at Varick around 11:00AM, and was told by a PA the street was closed, despite tons of people walking on both sides of the street. I asked if they were filming on the actual street, as I had read the shoot was only from Reade to Franklin, and he told me they were shooting on both sides of North Moore Street (totally untrue). I said I lived on the street, and if I got the corner of Hudson and they were filming I would wait to cross. He said It was okay as long as I lived there, and I could proceed, not that I was going to let him stop me anyway.
I always try to be respectful to film and still shoots, as I too sometimes shoot on the street and appreciate people’s cooperation, but lying to the residents and attempting to block their access to public streets for no reason is not cool.
It’s totally not cool to lie or block access. But PAs don’t care. The industry doesn’t care. So much money is at stake, and they’ll never see us again except when our money comes pouring in for that cable/net subscrip, ticket sale, or DVD buy. The bottom line is: Get the Job Done.
Sometimes, when I was a PA & someone refused to stop, I’d say “Are you sure? You know what we’re filming, right?” And then, based on their appearance, if they’re with kids, etc, I’d conjure up the most offensive documentary or porn category I could. They usually waited.
J Frank is correct. If my home or work is at the location, I am NOT stopping at the request of a PA, cameras rolling or not. Nor am I explaining my decision.
I have done this in the past and will continue to do it.