Photo: QueensPost
March 20, 2012 Staff Report
The TV series “Unforgettable” is going to be filming in Sunnyside on Thursday and residents better get ready to move their cars.
Unforgettable, a crime/mystery TV series that premiered on CBS last September, will be filming on the 43rd Street (between Queens Blvd through Skillman Ave) and on 43rd Ave (in the 40s).
Last year, when the show filmed in Sunnyside Gardens there were many complaints from residents who had their cars towed.
This time, residents will be towed if they park on the designated streets after 10 p.m. Wednesday and all day Thursday.
Community Board 2 Chairman Joe Conley has been a constant critic of film crews.
The community, he said, have been complaining about large crews setting up in neighborhoods and taking up residential parking spaces with large trucks.
He also said that when film crews work, they usually remain isolated from the community and do not shop at local businesses.
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52 Comments
I actually agree with Mike Novak for a change!
I’m glad Bloomy actually pointed out ways to find your a relocated (note, *not* impounded) car and what to do if for some reason the crew is anything but polite to a resident. It’s always good to see some constructive information.
Also, for those people addressing each other “directly”…would you ever actually talk like this to someone in real life? Don’t let this anonymous forum be a reason to be rude. A little civility and courtesy can go a long way.
A totally forgettable series, with an unremarkable actress.
Lots of people standing around all day and night making $40 per hour.
Noise, confusion and congestion in a neighborhood starved for parking spaces.
Please go shoot somewhere else.
@ Reesie In Woodside we have raised complaining to the level of fine art. If anyone should move to Florida we elect you, because you bore us to death. Go bore the alligators.
You guys complain about everything. If you dont like inconvenience, move to FL. This is NYC.
It is not 24 hours, they begin clearing the street, putting out cones, etc. long before the filming begins. It happened to me. And I DO NOT think it is good to have the neighborhood on film. Why do we want to advertise ourselves? I am a private person living a private life, not an entity that needs promotion. Perhaps people with businesses would benefit from exposure, but not a resident. I do not benefit from people from far away being drawn into my neighborhood. I benefit from quiet, peaceful, clean, well tended streets that provide a safe place for residents to lead their private lives.
People who run bars and restaurants benefit from exposure on film.Donato’s is constantly doing tasteless things to boost its visibility: flags, plants, signs and worst of all “electrocuted” trees. If they were allowed to they would have a loudspeaker, flapping bunting, helium gallons, and perhaps a guy dressed up like a plate of spaghetti out on the sidewalk saying “lick my meatballs.” Living next door to them is a nightmare. They vacuum up parking spots, attract local ne’er do wells, block the disabled from the crosswalks, spew grease into the air and leave half-dead trees in plastic planters on the curbside. Perhaps for them 48 hours of filming is well worth the inconvenience, not me.
Oh no, the last time they were here my car was unexpectedly towed and then nobody knew where it was. I was wondering why the MTA took down all the ridiculous signs along 43rd Street for the East Side Access project. My primary gripe with these film crews is that they bring in oversized food trucks and don’t spend a nickle on the local establishments. Maybe Bar 43 will be helped by residents gawking at the filming and stopping off to quench their thirst.
What should I do if the crew is rude or if the production company creates a problem?
The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting expects crews to be courteous and accommodating to residents and merchants at all times. Production should always provide safe pedestrian walkways. The MOFTB recently created a seminar to teach production assistants how to address the public’s needs. Your first course of action is to explain the situation to the production assistants at the set. If the situation is not rectified, check the production leaflets for the name and phone number of the location manager on the shoot. Additionally, larger shoots will have police officers who can assist you. If a problem remains, contact the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting (MOFTB) immediately by dialing 212-489-6710, so that the problem can be rectified while the project is still in production. You can also contact the NYPD Movie/TV Unit at 718-281-1235. Do not wait until after the shoot. The MOFTB will take appropriate action right away. By the same token, if a crew works particularly well with your neighborhood, share your positive experience and call us!
“Vehicles that are not moved by the times stated on the signs, are relocated to the nearest available legal parking spot on the street. Any costs incurred by this program are paid for by the production. For your convenience, the production company keeps a log listing the locations of any relocated vehicle. Additionally, a copy of this log is furnished to your local precinct. If you require further assistance locating your vehicle, contact the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting at 212-489-6710. ”
http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/locations/resident_faqs.shtml
If this happened once in a great while, you would put up with it. But it is happening with great frequency. Large numbers of parking spaces are taken away, with very little notice, and then residents are stuck with finding a place to park their cars when they come home from work. They are obnoxious. Fine to say the filming provides jobs, but who is paying for it, but people already paying taxes. The local community and Community Board is basically ignored.
Here’s a hint: in some neighborhoods where people were fed up, people just lean out of their windows and blast radios and bang pots. It disrupts the filming and even puts an end to it. Not much anyone can do about it either. Time to take back the neighborhood.
If I hadn’t just checked this website – Wed at 7 p.m. – I would be in jeopardy of being adversely affected by this. I had no idea this was going on. My car is parked in a Friday street cleaning spot so I haven’t looked at it since I parked it on Sunday. I planned to move it on Friday but will now go out and try to find something.
Hardly a luxury item, I use it to transport elderly friends to doctor appointments, haul Christmas trees to the mulchfest, and other things that may help people.
I am not one to complain about the filming but if I hadn’t seen this I would definitely be upset that I hadn’t been aware of the chance that my car may get towed tonight after 10.
Naturally, sometimes people are just jerks, including movie crews. That can’t be helped. But remember that while you might interact with a crew once a day, they interact with hundred of people every hour who walk through their shots, disrupt the production, and make it hard for them to o their jobs and go home.
Think of how irritated you are that your work schedule is put slightly askew, and then think of a job where every day someone is inconveniencing your job. I’m sure it adds up, and by the end of the day, any person would be a bit snippy with an interrupter.
Remember – these crews paid to use the area. If you don’t like where the funds went, the criticism should be directed towards our representatives, not the crews.
“Orphans and animal shelters”. That is a good one. I have seen shoots in Manhattan and the production people (not all of them – some of them) do act as if they owned the street and how dare you try to go to your job while they are filming. One crew shot in the baby sitter’s building which was a real hoot (food and all).
@JK Wilson
Live and let live is a fine philosophy but for me it doesn’t include letting people treat me like dirt.
Might even pump up our property values. In sum a great idea :0)
@Messer
I’ve lived in the city all my life and encountered dozens of film shoots over the years. It has always been the film crews who are the ones barking orders at people and never a please or thank you or realizing that they are guests in the neighborhood. The only time I’ve seen residents get snippy is when some punk with a walkie talkie gives them a dose of bad attitude or tells them in a condescending manner they can’t get into their own home.
rue 43,
I defer to “Messer” on this one. He (or she) said it well.
Live & let live. Be nice. We all have a hassle every day in NYC; ultimately, it is worth it.
@ rue43
Perhaps because many individuals in the area (see the majority of the above comments) are purposefully rude to the crews, and give them a hassle for doing their jobs.
Negativity and rudeness begets the same. I wouldn’t feel generous and pleasant towards a bunch of jerks who complain to everyone about having to park a block away for a night.
For you car people – you have days of street cleaning where you can’t park on your street – this is nearly no different. One night you just need to park somewhere else, and walk further to get your car in the morning.
This is a net positive for the community. Try not to imagine that your added minutes of inconvenience should shutdown this and all future productions.
Also, be nice to the crews. Maybe they’ll be nice back. Did most of you skip those formative years where you were taught the golden rule?
@J K Wilson
Since you know people in the business, maybe you can explain to me why production personnel are so snotty and arrogant towards the people who live in the neighborhoods they film in.
They are luxury items if you own a luxury car and you use it to impress people. Where I work it would cost me more to ride the trains and buses than own a car and it would take me not 60 min each way but 2-3 hours each way. Trust me I tried it until I couldn’t do it anymore and HAD to get an inexpensive car.
Cars are luxury items in a neighborhood with mass transit options. I take public transportation everywhere, including to and from my job on the other side of Queens (2 trains, one bus, 60 minutes each way). If you must have a car here, you should expect that you will be inconvenienced by filming/construction/fire trucks/community events. No one owes you anything. It’s 24 hours of inconvenience. There are bigger problems in the world. And in the neighborhood.
There are many techies, actors, production types, and service craft people who live here (including me). Productions such as UNFORGETTABLE represent work—and the possibility of work—to private sector union members. Sorry people are inconvenienced; but the upset is for a specific, finite period of time…and is nothing compared to the chaos that would be a permanent fixture if the OWS crowd began camping under the 7 train…for example.
Just sayin’.
I enjoy movies too and most of my friends are film industry professionals and I like that they are choosing Sunnyside to film, but the point is that this has been happening a lot and the 24 hour inconvenience might mean nothing to you, but please do ask the hard working professional who has to have a car to get to work (because not all of us work in Manhattan or near by areas to be able to use mass transit) and has to work a 10 hour day waking up at 6 clock in the morning
and getting back home at 8-9 oclock (or later) at night and has to look for a parking spot while the movie tracks occupy more that 100 car spots. At that point who gives a damn if this people will show Sunnyside in their movies or if you are proud that they are filming in our area.
Just because some of you don’t get influenced by this doesn’t mean is all good.
Ill be rude and show my annoyance to them and I hope they will never come back
(even though is not the film crew’s fault but I hope their scouting director is near by)
This whole situation would be resolved if
A. the city gave local residents a bit of slack with the parking, perhaps provide some alternative spaces somewhere on filming days, or perhaps give us a break on another day to make up for the inconvenience. At the very least stop going bananas with the tickets and using a film shoot as an excuse to hit us up for more money.
B. The film crews would adopt common courtesy and learn words like please and thank you.
The Sunnyside residents are not the problem.
I agree with Woodside.
In general, people enjoy tv shows, and they need to be filmed somewhere. So much of these comments are the classic “Not in My Backyard” complaints. While the debate will endlessly rage over how much on the money will line a politician’s pockets, and how much will go to animal shelters (also, I noticed a lack of Any citations on the subject), don’t forget the ancillary benefits, such as people viewing our neighborhood and liking it, maybe visiting, maybe inducing others to film here…
People of Sunnyside, please stop letting 24 hours of inconvenience in one intersection ruin your whole week.
Look on the bright side for just a few hours. Find a positive.
“Thick?” “Jackass?” Because he has an opinion? Isn’t there supposed to be a modicum of civility here?
And to the extent that the city’s take goes to its general fund, then yes, it is reasonable to say that the money goes to animal shelters and orphans.
I think reasonable people can disagree about this subject w/o childish name-calling.
Right on, Just Looking!
This whole thing must not bother Woodside because he lives where his name indicates.
@ Woodside No one here sees things from your point of view. Frankly, you seem naive. Orphans and animal shelters? You’re kidding, right? Bloomberg came in and started selling the streets and sidewalks to business people. There are more private businesses running on what was previously public land than have ever been run before. He is a business man, with a very late in life application of philanthropy. If you buy his public relations swill, well, you might be young.
The man reduced the actual police force in favor of bolstering the Brownie Brigade, (former). They know nothing about policing criminals but everything about ticketing honest citizens. Why? Catching criminals costs money, ticketing cars makes it. Simple. He will soon figure out a lot more people are on foot than in cars and figure out a way to ticket them, too. You watch. We are profit centers, not citizens, in Bloomberg’s city.
@Woodside
Ok you’re not mega wealthy. Congratulations.
Let’s see.
The city gets money from the tv producers.
The producers make money on the show.
The Sunnyside residents get added parking headaches, financial penalties and a bunch of scruffy looking and arrogant production personnel who treat them like garbage.
Sounds like a a great deal for everybody but Sunnysiders.
IT SEEMS THE ONLY ONES BITCHING ARE PEOPLE WITH CARS.IF IT TAKES 2 DAYS OR A WEEK, JUST EXCEPT IT. AN WHO VOTED BLOOMBERG IN. I’M GLAD I MOVE OUT.
@Rue I’ll get back to give a response when I’m back up in my penthouse apartment. I must first let the crew dock my yacht. Help, where’s me Lucky Charms??? Oh good , found them in the Rolls. phew….
The fact is, every day local people have to abide by the many parking regulations or get whacked with a fine or having their car taken away.
Then along comes some fancy show biz crew and the laws we all struggle to comply with every day magically disappear – just for them.
And people wonder why the neighborhood gets upset.
@ Frank….I do hope you are not a critic for the Theatre . The lights would go out along B’way after your negative reviews.
” Unforgettable” is a huge hit…so much for your eloquent review “and the show sucks” You must learn a new phrase as you use it often. Try something like ‘ it’s not my cup of tea’ or ‘ i’m not feeling that show’ or ‘ it doesn’t capture the true ambience of New York City…You do know they built this city on Rock ‘n Roll. So just roll with the inconvenience.
Woodside,
It’s not a question of parking illegally. It’s a question of one privileged group of people, the TV producers, hogging up all the LEGAL spots for themselves.
You don’t think people might like a nice walk as you say? Guess what. They do. Unfortunately there’s rarely enough time in the day after work, commuting and other obligations to indulge in such leisurely activities.
You must live a charmed life with lots of free time. Well, sure act like it.
The money the city makes on these shoots goes to orphans and animal shelters just to name a few. As far as equipment goes I guess instead of the heavy cameras and sound machines they could opt and film with their cell phone cameras and use a megaphone for sound projection!
If you choose to park illegally guess what you get towed…Park in Woodside or L.I.C. and walk…the weather is beautiful and you could patronize a few stores along the way. Most of us could use a nice walk now and then. You might even be in a background shot and get your 5 mins. of fame on the tube.
@Roger Please explain yourself. How can you not understand why people are hot and bothered when their car is towed away and they suddenly have to hand over hundreds and hundreds of dollars? It is more than annoying, it is financially damaging. I fell behind on my rent that month.
You are right Roger, THIS IS GOOD NEWS!!
I am not changing my comment!!!
Roger,
Guess I’m old fashioned but rude and obnoxious people tend to bother me. You obviously have a high tolerance for it.
First of all Mr.Conley’s comment is an out and out LIE!!! The film crews DO shop and eat and local stores and eateries!!!! You should be happy that people are working!!! A little inconvenience is not alot to pay to show how beautiful our community is . I for one am PROUD AND GRATEFUL that they chose SUNNYSIDE!!!!
The crews think they own the streets.
Hmm, same photo as before! Haven’t you got any other ones??
http://sunnysidepost.com/2011/04/04/poppy-montgomery-in-sunnyside-queens/
This is good news. I don’t understand why people get so hot and bothered.
The film crews certainly don’t do their cause any good when they act like obnoxious jerks to the locals.
There is no way on God’s green earth people should have to be not only inconvenienced but fined and towed to satisfy a film crew! Let them film, but forget all the equipment. Use hand-held cameras. Otherwise, the headache and hassle is way out of proportion to the benefit. The other posters are right, we get the headaches and other people get the money.
If they are filming here, and have to bring all that equipment, the local community board deserves a cut of the profits. If they have to tow cars, the film crew should hire the tow truck, put the cars in a safe place and drive you to it when you come for it. I was towed once when I was away for a few days, came home really late and just didn’t see the signs, they were on the street side of the trees and I was walking on the sidewalk. It cost me the ticket, the towing plus a day’s pay to go get it before they charged me for storage.
Oh, and the show sucks!
This is stupid! Sunnyside has an extreme problem for parking and this makes it unbearable for all the people who own cars and come home at 8, 9pm from work and have to circle for half an hour to find a spot if they are lucky. I am sure the city makes a lot of money from licenses etc from the filming, to spend it in improving Manhattan and all the high end areas, when the areas that are taking all the trouble get nothing. At least they should give the Sunnyside drivers some sort of an alternative option for those days of filming like parking for free under the bridge etc. You know, we are hard working people around here and yes I understand that this is for 24 hours only but there is always something going on around our area!! This offers nothing but trouble to the community.
This sucks. I don’t care if they’re here to work. I don’t care that it brings in $$ for the city. The money probably goes to all the wrong places, especially with Bloomberg in charge. Maybe it would be useful if the money went directly to improving neighborhood parks or roads. Why should working people have to be inconvenienced for Hollywood clowns? I don’t need to see Sunnyside on TV–I live here.
Oh yea, I love the show!!!!! lol
They are there to work. It’s a little bothersome for a short time. Be happy it brings mucho centavos to the city. Plus we get to see our neighborhood on TV…It’s a trip….Come on people lighten up for 24 hrs……… 😉
Links with clips from the Pilot, the last time Unforgettable filmed in Sunnyside are here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QnZuwdEuQs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgXr9e2gn-s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssq0WUbE2_8&feature=sh_e_se&list=SL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs2rDVty91w&feature=sh_e_se&list=SL
Also the new movie Being Flynn featuring Robert DeNiro also shot in Sunnyside, though at the time it had a different title. I believe you can see a brief shot of the El in the trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1141612057/