Unforgettable Television Production Crew Causes Discomfort and Sleepless Nights For Roosevelt Island Residents With Intense Beams Of Light Shining Into Their Apartments
Unforgettable TV Production Crew Light Scaffolding at 504 Main Street
Reported last Thursday that two television programs were filming this past week on Roosevelt Island. One of them, the new CBS program Unforgettable was shooting scenes at night near 504 Main Street and causing problems for Roosevelt Island residents living across the street. A resident sent in this report earlier today:
Another resident, Raye Schwartz sent this message today to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Directors, President Leslie Torres and others:The movie shoot in 504 lasted all night including bright lights into the apts in 510 and 531 until after 2 a.m. on Thus/Fri and Fri/Sat.
On Thursday night July 28 and Friday Night July 29 a film crew was working in, next to and behind 504 Main Street. Let me begin this message by stating I’ve lived here for 30 years and I’ve seen many film and photo shoots on this island. I never experienced anything as horrendous as this.UPDATE 8/1 - The name of the film referenced above was Dark Water, not Dark Shadows. From Ms Schwartz:
On Thursday night, the crew set up enormous lights which were aimed into apartments at 510 Main Street and into apartments at the South wing of 531 Main Street. The lights were so intense that their beams penetrated tightly shut venetian blinds, bounced off the walls in apartments, and caused extreme discomfort to the residents all through the night. Calls to Public Safety were useless, as the people on phone duty had no idea this was going on, nor did they seem interested or able to help.
After several hours of this horror I came outside to try to find someone to lower or shield the lights and found Donna Masly, the RIOC program coordinator, on Thursday Night who insisted that the crew shield the lights so they would not continue to cause such havoc. It seems that the permit applications did not specify what they were doing with the lighting, and my understanding is that there is no provision or caveat to protect residents in their homes against such intrusions. Donna’s hands were pretty much tied because of the limitations of the permits, which I found on the RIOC website:
http://rioc.com/permitterms.htm
http://rioc.com/permittermsfilm.htm
http://rioc.com/pdf/SpecialEvenFilmingCostSheet.pdf
The same thing occurred again last night, only this time the crew refused to adjust the lights, claiming they did not have enough staff to do so and didn’t want to interrupt the scene they were shooting. The crew members said they would be working through the night until 7AM. Again, the lights penetrated my apartment such that I couldn’t watch tv or fall asleep.
The only thing one of their crew members offered was to come to my home and install black cloths across my windows. That’s absurd…in other words I should have strangers traipsing through my apartment with dirty shoes, move my furniture away from the windows, put tape or tacks into the walls, possibly knock over lamps or tables or break fine antiques and not be there in the morning to restore my apartment from a cave??? Wrong answer!!!
The evening doorman in my building, Rivercross, claimed he had numerous complaints about this situation from the residents in our building.
In view of this, it is imperative that the RIOC officers and directors immediately revisit the permitting process and revise the language of the permits to ensure that residents are not caused any discomfort or harm in their homes during such events, specifically including clauses about lights, water and noise. (Anyone remember the damage caused to Eastwood during the filming of “Dark Shadows”)? Indeed, if any Roosevelt Island resident or visitor were to play loud music, set off firecrackers, or shine lights into apartments we would be arrested, yet RIOC allowed this film company to cause a similar disturbance!
One other thing: There was not one advisory or notice about this film shoot from RIOC. The only protection offered by Public Safety was to station our officers at the filming location to protect them and their property, but not to protect the residents. It is shameful, despicable and insulting that the officers of RIOC have no regard or consideration for the residents of this community who are voting taxpayers who pay their salaries not only from NY State taxes, but also from our monthly apartment maintenance or rent.
In NY City, in addition to detailed permits, there is also an accompanying “code of conduct” requirement for filming production on location!Roosevelt Island Historical Society President Judy Berdy adds:
One thing not mentioned by Ms. Schwartz is the destruction to Blackwell Park. The tractor trailer trucks break up the paving and cause damage to the walkways. these trucks are too heavy to be put on a not roadway surface.
Also the entire west side of the park was used as a parking lot for the weekend. This precludes the use of the sitting area by residents.
10 comments :
Fine antiques, huh?
While the complainant in the post is over the top with melodrama, it's absurd that this permit was approved without any contact with residents around the filming area.
RIOC wants to bring productions to the Island for revenue and exposure. It's on RIOC to institute a rigorous framework in which guest film and television crews operate.
The current requirements seem concerned only with absolving the corporation of liability by demanding insurance certificates in advance of a shoot. No advance warning in the form of drawings of how the locations will be used. No concern for how the shoot might affect residents or businesses.
That said, a qualified RIOC staffer would have spotted this situation a mile away, before the sun went down and before the lights were switched on. Simple communication with the neighbors would have gone a long way, but the fact that the on-set RIOC staff member and Public Safety didn't feel empowered to require quick resolution of this problem after a complaint is beyond dumb.
Those permits are always given out without much input from residents. I think we all always tend to forget that we are in NYC! There is always sh!te like this happening and there is not a thing you can do about. You grind your teeth and you move on.
1. It's not melodrama when you have this intrusion for 2 nights in a row.
2. It's not that the on-set staff member and PSD didn't feel empowered; they were not given the authority to do anything because there were no provisions for the film company to honor any requests. Yes, it is beyond dumb.
3. That the RIOC president is a lawyer who does not come here each day and obviously did not review all the governing documents of this island when she took office is a disgrace: she should have caught the problems with RIOC's permits for filming and revised them!
The RIOC Staffer in charge of these permits is a 20-something year-old with very little real experience. Someone should be loking over what she approves. Whether it's the President or the Chief Legal Council - oh wait, they fired Ken Leitner & have yet to replace him - someone should be doing it. The Staffer should not have that much authority. Not just because some of us residents were inconvenienced, but because these Film Crews often take advantage.
Where are the RIOC Board Members on all this? They haven't replaced their Chief Legal Council? That guy has been gone for a while. I know, it's because they don't have Jon Kalkin telling them what to do anymore. Or do they? I hear he's still calling the shots for them even though he's supposed to be off the board. Come on Margie, Fay and the others we voted for... step it up! Just because this isn't about the privatization of your buildings doesn't mean you can't get involved.
You know what always works? Sit across the street clanging a couple of pans, see how fast they do whatever you ask so they can continue filming. You're not going to get any sleep anyway right?
Permits have limits and penalties when these limits are exceded.
RIOC's approach seems to be a license, not a permit.
The RIOC staffer is simply doing what she is told to do. Her hands are tied by the limitations of the permits. You should take a look at them in the links above and compare them to what other municipalities, especially NY City, require. She is not empowered to change the permits, that requires lawyers.
It is melodrama when you constantly complain all the time. You complain so much about everything that I often wonder why you still live here. Complaining on this Blog, complaining in The Wire... complain - complain - complain. The funny thing is you never do it in a polite way. Your nastiness and "throw everybody under the bus" mentality makes me and others scratch our heads. People might actually take you serious if you weren't like "The boy who cried wolf."
stop crying , move off the island you are all cry babies
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