Are film permits being issued, enabling lensing to go on in your jurisdiction and if so, under what circumstances and with what, if any, requirements?
In March 2020, due to the pandemic, film permit activity in New York City ceased, apart from the news media. Film permit activity resumed in June of that year with restrictions on cast and crew filming on public property capped at 10 people, then 100 in September; the cap ultimately lifted in February of this year. In light of increased vaccination rates, New York State recently updated COVID protocols for media production. For more information about ongoing restrictions, including maintaining a COVID safety plan, limitations on locations, and more, please visit our website’s Filming Permits page.
Within your jurisdiction/territories, are any regions/areas in particular more conducive to filming in light of the pandemic? How have those areas made themselves more able to safely host lensing?
Since the State reopened media production in New York City last June, our office has worked tirelessly to land productions on locations throughout the five boroughs.
How have your procedures, modus operandi, process and responsibilities changed in light of the pandemic?
Are certain kinds of productions generally more feasible during this time? Commercials and shorter duration projects, for example.While we have always worked closely with the New York State Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development, throughout the pandemic, we have had greater interaction with their parent agency, the Empire State Development Corporation, and the NYS Department of Health which issued specific health and reopening guidance for media production. The staff of our Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting had to adjust to doing its office work remotely and maintaining COVID safety protocols during its field work. Given the speed and pace of changing regulations we also had to increase our communications to the industry with a weekly update from the Commissioner.
Are certain kinds of productions generally more feasible during this time? Commercials and shorter duration projects, for example.
Thanks to the ongoing work of our Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, we’ve been able to accommodate productions ranging in scale from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to television series and small films and commercials. While restrictions on location filming were in place, smaller productions were more feasible, with larger productions availing themselves of our city’s strong infrastructure of soundstages. At this point, we are averaging 35 television series on the ground, which is where we were prior to the pandemic.
What advice or guidance have you to offer to the production community at large during these challenging times?
The production community has done a tremendous job of collaborating at every level—studios, unions, community, and government relations—to ensure a strong return of jobs and production during this challenging time. That has allowed production to be a real bright spot during the pandemic, and a leader in getting back online as we open the city.
What’s your biggest takeaway or lessons learned from your experience dealing with production during the COVID-19 pandemic?
As a former production person, I know that the industry is grounded in logistical planning. The pandemic showed that we have some of the most brilliant logistical minds in New York City both within industry and among our city agency partners. I am so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together thus far in the reopening.
