Opportunity Knocking: Is Dunwoody "Camera Ready"?

It looks like the few film shoots in Dunwoody may not just be lucky flukes.  A film crew working on a project tentatively titled "Trouble With the Curve" borrowed Dunwoody High School during spring break.  Earlier this year, a project titled "Parental Guidance" used a home on Vermack for some of their shots.

Then Channel 2 aired this:


I know someone out there is going to criticize Mike and City Council for establishing "film guidelines".  I don't believe that it's a bad idea to have fees and use guidelines in place.

When I was in college, certain parts of my urban campus at Boston University were regular locations for scenes from "Spencer for Hire".  The first couple of times you saw the film crew set up, it was cool - you got to see all the techies and what happens behind the scenes.  If you were lucky you got a glimpse of Robert Urich or Avery Brooks at work.  Some students made pizza-and-beer money working as extras.

But that's just a couple of times.  After a while you got used to it.  Then finally the time came when you were late for class in a rainstorm, and you had to walk an extra half-mile because the film crew blocked off your usual route.  Or commuter students got screwed out of their assigned parking lot because craft services and actors' trailers were camped out there.  Then the whole thing just got old.

So when a community actively courts  the film industry, you also have to take measures to keep the circus inside the ring.  City Council is voting whether to approve the Film and Video Policy (with fees, natch) to ensure that film crews understand and stay within the boundaries of activity that are required for a peaceful neighborhood.  (For now - said "boundaries" and everything else that falls under 'zoning' is up for discussion as part of the rewrite project.)

For the most part, the policy is fair.  You don't realize how intrusive a film crew can be until you encounter one while having "one of those days".  You've got your standards in here - your application requirement, anything that has to be reviewed by a county-based service, insurance and liability, etc.  I would recommend cleaning up the vague terminology regarding "hardship" and "practical solution" in that section.  It leaves a lot of room for interpretation based on individual taste instead of a reliable standard to operate by.  Fertile ground for the local jerkoff to draw a line in the sand for a chance at a little payola.   The phrase that lets the city slide on its 5-day response time without penalty, or without benefit to the applying production company seems slimy.

Would these ordinances be in force if the film crew is working on county property, as opposed to city or private property inside city limits?  The last film project (with Eastwood and Timberlake) took place at Dunwoody High, so it was the school system and the county who had the authorization to issue a permit and permission to use the site, not the City.  Would Dunwoody itself have been able to enforce any ordinances under these circumstances?

In one of the previous examples, ("Parental Guidance") the work took place in a residentially-zoned home.  If the homeowners receive compensation from the production company for the use of their home as a set, do they risk being penalized for commercial activity in a residence?  Is this another "don't ask, don't tell" scenario that is so common in Dunwoody today?  If so, that could put a wrench in the City's film dreams.  The policy acknowledges the possibility of filming on private property, but is silent on the compensation or "commercial use" issue.  Major contradiction, folks.   Very obvious one, too.

While on the residential subject, the policy states that no permits are necessary except for "...guns in display of the public; public nudity; special effects such as fire, explosives, or pyrotechnics;  nondomestic animals; or
filming outside the hours permitted by the City’s Noise Ordinance."
Hel-LO!!  Production vehicles parked in the street!  Random bitching and moaning about traffic and parking will crescendo!  Even if there's no "filming" on the street, there is going to be some serious parking.  Sounds permit-worthy to me, if for nothing else than having police on hand to prevent collisions.

When the policy passes and becomes the law of the land - then what?  Is there going to be active marketing to Hollywood et al for locations?  Or a more passive approach that relies on word of mouth?

Georgia rolled out the "Camera Ready Communities" initiative as part of their own marketing to the film industry.   This program identifies contact people by county - not by city - to be liasons to assist interested film companies in setting up shop.  I'd like to think DeKalb County would have some sort of partnership with Dunwoody, for communication if nothing else.  My cynical side kicks in when we remember how much DeKalb just loooooooooooooves Dunwoody.

It wouldn't take much to replicate the county-by-county program at the city level.  Identify a contact person who will be familiar with ordinances and permitting, and that has a comprehensive understanding of Dunwoody's neighborhoods, facilities, features, etc to assist with location scouts.

You also have an opportunity for the Chamber and CVB to get into the act.  Include with the city packet a letter to the effect of:  "Welcome to Dunwoody Georgia.  We wish you success in your project while you film in our city.  Attached is a list of local enterprises that are willing and able to assist you with products and services you may be in need of during your stay."  Break them out by category:  Lodging, Transportation, Talent Agencies, Lighting and Staging, Catering, and any number of other skilled craft services.

The policy is only Step One.  In order to make Dunwoody "camera ready", City Hall has to ensure that knowledgeable pros are at the front desk when film companies accept their invitations.  If you're going to enact a policy at City Council, be ready to back it up with adequate city staff.  If City Hall is planning more than just a policy vote, it could be a win-win for everybody.  Don't make the mistake of throwing out a policy without the human resources and infrastructure to make it work in real life, outside Council Chambers where everything is hypothetical.