Closing a road for a film crew

[y_p_w]

I don't know if this is automotive or not, but this is about as good a place as any to discuss this.

We were watching TV and my kid sees a Mazda commercial where I think a CX-30 is being featured driving across the eastern span of the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge. But my 10 year old sees it and asks where are all the other cars? There absolutely no other vehicles seen, although they have a shot earlier that looks like a static shot of the western span with lots of tail lights visible, and a ship crossing under the bridge.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/OVi0/2021-mazda-cx-more-power-for-your-pursuit-t1

I tried to explain that some film crews can arrange to have even a busy road or bridge closed for a few minutes, although I suppose these days they could have done it with computer graphics to remove everything else. Anyone deal with anything like this?

I was in area around Moab, Utah when we were heading back to Moab and the road was closed. There was a Grand County Sheriff's deputy there and when we asked what was going on, he politely said it was a "commercial being filmed". I saw the remnants of people on the side with a cooler, and thought maybe it was a beer commercial or something similar. Now I'm thinking that closing a remote road in Utah is way different than shutting off a major bridge.

 

[oggb]

Here in VA you give the State Police a call and for minor roads you pay the salary of the officers sent to "close" the road for the time they're present. There may have been more to it, but it was an uncomplicated process from what I remember.

I worked "film crew adjacent" for several years.

 

[Kokopelli34179]

Yes! Portions of the movie "Due Date" were shot in my town, Las Cruces NM....on US70...closed down a very busy street; albeit at night, but still.

 

[mk378]

When it's rush hour toward the city, there's not much demand for the other side of the bridge anyway.

 

[jimbrewer]

We pay the them for the privilege. These days the states pay subsidies for the production of these things. Typically 25% or so.

They are called tax credits, but the credits are “refundable” in tax-speak. That means a cash payment from the state in excess of tax liability. In other words a cash subsidy.

Applying all appropriate economic multipliers they can’t possibly be money-makers for the states at that level.

Star-struck legislators love them though.

 

[oggb]

We pay the them for the privilege. These days the states pay subsidies for the production of these things. Typically 25% or so.

They are called tax credits, but the credits are “refundable” in tax-speak. That means a cash payment from the state in excess of tax liability. In other words a cash subsidy.

Applying all appropriate economic multipliers they can’t possibly be money-makers for the states at that level.

Star-struck legislators love them though.

Yep. Kentucky of all places had absurd credits in ~2010. I seem to remember them offering up to a $500k refundable credit for a small production I was a part of.

 

[jurko]

Here Southern Nevada south of Pahrump there's about 20 miles section of Hwy 160 which is perfectly straight.
Automakers of fastest production cars in the world come here to test the speed. All they have to do is to apply for special permit with NDOT to close off about 8 miles of it which is handled by NHP. I don't know what the cost is for permit like this.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Film making in Canada is highly encouraged as well with tax credits and full operation from the governments and much of the public. Parts of Superman III where filmed in Calgary.

 

[jimbrewer]

Film making in Canada is highly encouraged as well with tax credits and full operation from the governments and much of the public. Parts of Superman III where filmed in Calgary.

They sometimes struggle to make Vancouver look like Phoenix.

 

[bdcardinal]

I have been on Pacific Coast Highway in the Malibu area and seen film crews multiple times on the side of the road. They wait for the perfect light and have the CHP close it to get their shots in. A bunch of commercials are filmed there as well as the back roads in Montecito.

 

[PimTac]

It looks like CGI to me.

 

[1000MPH]

When I lived in SF, Nash Bridges did whatever the hell they wanted:
Close down Folsom at 5pm on a Friday.
Party all night in GG park.
Production offices and sound stages on Treasure Island.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

I got stopped for a few minutes for a car commercial on the Beartooth Highway in Montana, probably in 2000. It was early evening, when the light would have been right. The car in question was a silver Lexus-looking something.

 

[2009Caraman]

Film crews are a PITA. When I lived in Toronto they would close a lot of the parks for filming. Weekends they would shut down Bay Street(Canada's Wall Street) for filming. It became a part of the reason I moved away.

 

[y_p_w]

When it's rush hour toward the city, there's not much demand for the other side of the bridge anyway.

OK. However, both sides were empty in the shot.

 

[PimTac]

https://www.ndigitec.com/news/5-applications-cgi-advertising/

 

[rob1715]

Film making in Canada is highly encouraged as well with tax credits and full operation from the governments and much of the public. Parts of Superman III where filmed in Calgary.

Flying "high" with Richard Pryor.

 

[bunnspecial]

Yep. Kentucky of all places had absurd credits in ~2010. I seem to remember them offering up to a $500k refundable credit for a small production I was a part of.

Surprsingly enough too, in my time in Kentucky(the first 32 years of my life) it was also generally a welcome event when any kind of production was going on.

There were quite a few decently large productions that I can remember. Among other things, places like "old" schools that still liked like they were out of the 50s/60s, small town general stores, and of course horse farms were hot spots.

I can remember school boards in particular LOVING to get a film crew in for a couple of days as well. For a major picture, the crew would come in, change everything around to make it look the way they wanted, then put it back better than they found it(and however the board wanted it) in less than a week. They'd get at least a repaint if not a light remodel of a room far faster than most any other crew could do it, and would get paid to have it done.

 

[Chris142]

Very common here being the desert but only 100 miles from holly weird. I had to go around the filming of Joe dirt and kickin' wing when they were filming that scene out by ElMirage,Ca.

 

[Malo83]

Was stationed at NAS Lemoore when they closed down a portion of Hwy 198 that ran next to the air station, they filmed the night scenes when John Candy and Steve Martin were traveling along the snowy highway at night in Trains, Planes and Automobiles, they blew fake snow along the sides and middle of the hwy.