It’s one of the most aggravating two-word puzzles in daily life in New York City.
Film shoot.
Who hasn’t gotten up in the morning or home in the evening to find all the parking spots blocked off with cones, or giant humming trailers sitting everywhere, or young people with walkie talkies who act polite but are somehow obnoxious asking you not to walk on your own street?
But who, also, has not gazed in awe and pride from a movie theater seat at Manhattan’s magnificent skyline, or one of our finely knitted neighborhoods, whether it be in a dystopian black-and-white film noir from the 1950s, or a Nancy Meyers affluent fantasy of life in Park Slope from this century?
It’s a fine balance. Film shoots disrupt our neighborhoods, but they bring invaluable worldwide exposure and glory to our city. And although there is an ongoing debate over the economic benefits of the tax breaks, they provide work for 185,000 New Yorkers in the industry, as well as windfalls to the occasional homeowner who hits the financial jacket when the doorbell is rung by a location scout with money to spend.
But now that delicate balance is in danger of being knocked off kilter thanks to a little noticed revision proposed to the City Charter.
It would transfer the right to issue film permits from the Department of Small Business Services to the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. The overall responsibility for shoots would remain with the Mayor’s Office of Film and Television.
This recommendation from the Charter Revision Commission says this move would streamline the process for several reasons, including that the city’s license to broadcast is already held by the technology department.
This might seem like a small thing, and an example of a minor government re-shuffling that is as inconsequential as it is boring. (Can we think of a more sleep-inducing phrase than “Charter Revision Commission”?)
But this is actually an example of how changes in government can have real-world consequences in our neighborhoods and in our business districts, and it’s an idea that should be abandoned.
I’ve worn many hats, including chief of staff for Mayor Mike Bloomberg and, now, chairman of the Business Improvement District (BID) of Belmont in The Bronx, which includes Arthur Ave. This is New York City’s last true Little Italy, a mecca for Italian restaurants and food specialty stores.
I’ve generally leaned against granting film permits. There are several reasons, but the main one is the disruption they bring, especially to businesses.
On Arthur Ave. in Belmont, for example, a shoot could be a disaster. City officials trumpeting the benefits of film shoots never mention the lost income from the disruptions, the customers who can’t park so they go elsewhere, or those chased away by obnoxious production assistants. That needs to be part of the equation.
The technology department does not have the same deep knowledge of the city’s neighborhoods — no two of which are alike — as does the small business administration. They have liaisons who are in contact with organizations such as our BID.
We are often approached about shooting on Arthur Ave., which is an atmospheric place. Even if I don’t like the idea, I know that I or someone on my team can have a rational conversation with someone from the city who knows us, and our needs.
Can the shooting be switched to a Monday, when many restaurants are closed? Can we please delay it until after Easter? Little nuances like that mean a great deal. Will technical people — as smart as they may be — have that same deep well of knowledge of our streets? I doubt it, especially in the beginning.
Will they even consult with us? Even now communication can be spotty. I fear it will get worse if this change takes place.
We are a business association. We appreciate the business model of the Office of Film and Television. But it all has to work within the context of a very busy and multiple set of commercial districts and neighborhoods. One shouldn’t devalue the other.
Closing down streets and neighborhoods without consultation can cause that unhealthy reaction. It shouldn’t be allowed to do that. Creating a good environment for shoots is a net positive if done well.
I just don’t see the technology department as a place that has either the experience or connectivity to neighborhoods to be an effective conduit and arbiter between and among the many neighborhoods that make up New York City, and the television and film industry.
Madonia, a former chief of staff to Mayor Mike Bloomberg, is chairman of the Belmont Business Improvement District.