K E N T M A T S U O K A
K E N T M A T S U O K A
Thoughts on Distant Locations
An article in the Newnan Times-Herald [1] came across my feed today regarding filming of the AMC series "The Walking Dead" in Coweta County south of Atlanta.
Based at Raleigh Studios- Atlanta, just outside the town of Senoia, "The Walking Dead" frequently uses the town to cheat for Hershel's farm, the town of Woodbury, and many other rural locations featured in the series.
Filming in small towns is reminiscent of the David Mamet film "State and Main", in which a film crew descends upon a small town and what first is viewed with excitement quickly turns into repulsion and eventually resolved into a somewhat amicable solution.
The protocol established in the traditional production centers of Los Angeles and New York can sometimes seem stifling to some filmmakers, but they've been established for a reason, to maintain the balance between the studios and the residents who live in frequently filmed neighborhoods.
Regions hoping to attract the positive economic benefit that can be gained from filming initially tend to give the productions carte blanche at the expense of the citizens who live there, much to the pleasure of the corporate bean counters back in LA and NY, who constantly moan about the increasing costs and expenses that additional regulation brings.
Unfortunately, if the production cannot restrain themselves from acting irresponsibly and take advantage of their hosts while drunk on the freedom from municipally imposed regulation, the usual outcome is that the citizens develop an increasingly NIMBY attitude and pushes the town to pass excessive regulations that all but discourages any future filming. At worst, the production may even go so far to put the lives of their own crew in danger as seen last year with Sarah Jones [2].
As chasing tax incentives increasingly dictates our filming locations over creative needs and even the availability of experienced local crew, we as producers are directly responsible for how Hollywood as a whole is perceived based on how our companies operate while on location and how the crew interacts with the general public.
It is our responsibility to maintain positive community relations by insuring that we keep in mind the needs of the residents surrounding our set, the citizens who've used the same road to go to work for 20 years, and promoting a sustainable attitude with the crew by reminding them that we are guests at the location and to treat the resident-hosts with respect to insure that not only will we be able to come back should a reshoot require it, but that it remains a viable location for the the next production to film in the area.
[1] Sarah Fay Campbell, “Senoia Residents Complain About Inconvenience Of Movie and Tv Filming”, Newnan Times-Herald, 11 July, 2015.
[2]Scott Johnson, “A Train, a Narrow Trestle and 60 Seconds to Escape: How ‘Midnight Rider’ Victim Sarah Jones Lost Her Life”, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 March, 2014
Saturday, July 11, 2015