To put it mildly, this is a challenging time to be commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting (MOFTB). An economic slowdown and the aftereffects of Sept. 11 have hit New York City especially hard. Businesses of all kinds are suffering—the commercial production industry included. Nevertheless, Katherine Oliver didn’t hesitate to accept the commissioner post when Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered it to her this past summer (SHOOT, 7/12/02, p. 1).
"I like a challenge, and I love New York," notes Oliver, who succeeded Patricia Reed Scott in the position. "This is my hometown, so it was an opportunity for me to come back to my city and to help the city at a time when I think it really does need it. I think [Mayor Bloomberg] is going to do wonders for a city that we really care about, and if I can help him in any way, I’m committed to helping him and trying to make a difference."
A native of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, N.Y., and a graduate of New York University, where she studied journalism and economics, Oliver began her career as a radio and television reporter, and has worked at New York-based media outlets such as CNBC, Financial News Network (FNN), WABC and 1010WINS. She joined Bloomberg L.P.—the media and communications firm started by Mayor Bloomberg—in 1992, and helped to launch its radio station, WBBR, in ’93, and its television programming in ’94.
Six years ago, she moved to London to become general manager of Bloomberg Radio and Television International. In that position, Oliver launched 10 television channels in six different languages in the European and Asian markets, and radio services in five different languages.
Bloomberg was a high-tech operation, Oliver says, admitting that she was surprised to discover how low-tech the MOFTB office was. "When I came here, a lot of the way this office was run was the same way as when it was set up [in ’66]," Oliver shares. There was an antiquated phone system, outdated computer equipment and records that were kept manually. Right away, Oliver updated the phones and computers for her staff.
She also reached out to people in the industry to find out how the MOFTB could better serve their needs. The major complaint turned out to be the MOFTB’s archaic permitting process. For years, people seeking film permits had to go to the MOFTB’s offices to fill out permits, and they had to type out the paperwork—in quintuplicate—on electric typewriters. Within 30 days of taking over the MOFTB, Oliver drastically updated and improved the permitting process—producers are now able to download permit forms online via the MOFTB Web site (www.nyc. gov/film). Upon completing the forms, they can either e-mail or fax them to the MOFTB for review. Those who prefer to fill out the permit paperwork in person at the MOFTB office can now do so on computers (as opposed to typewriters).
Oliver says that enacting changes to the permitting process was crucial because it demonstrated the MOFTB’s commitment to customer service. "When you are building any business, you have to find out what works and what doesn’t work. You want to keep customers happy," Oliver stresses. "Here in the film office, we are catering to a technologically savvy group of people in film and production. They are using BlackBerries. They are using mobile phones. Time is money, and we have to be very sensitive to that. For us to best serve them, we have to run a very efficient office." The permit process will continue to be streamlined, according to Oliver, who also plans on reducing waiting times.
NYC SIGHTS
As for other improvements being made, an extensive locations database—showcasing everything from office buildings to piers—is in the works, and will ultimately be available on the MOFTB Web site. "Our Web site will be our ultimate marketing tool," Oliver says.
Additionally, Oliver has worked with other city agencies—including the New York Police Department (NYPD), the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Community Assistance Unit (CAU)—to coordinate shoots more carefully. "What we’ve started to do the last few months is to have weekly conference calls for long-range planning," Oliver says. "We don’t want to tell Spider-Man 2 they can shoot in lower Manhattan if Con Edison is going to be ripping up the street that day."
Internally, Oliver reports that she is reorganizing the MOFTB staff of 12 and reworking their responsibilities, and she has appointed Lt. John Battista deputy commissioner of the MOFTB. A 20-year veteran of the NYPD, Battista spent the past four years as commanding officer of the NYPD Film and Television Unit. "He is very well-respected and very well-known in the industry," Oliver relates. Battista’s duties will include serving as a liaison to the NYPD film unit, overseeing production meetings and visiting locations to ensure seamless production.
In addition to shoring up her own staff, Oliver says she has formed strong ties with Pat Swinney Kaufman, deputy commissioner and director of the New York State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development, and president of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI). "She was one of the first people that I reached out to my first week on the job, and she is phenomenal," Oliver says. "I talk to her every day, and we’ve already been out to California together [to promote New York]."
Oliver believes she and Kaufman can improve the production picture in New York City and state by pooling their efforts. "Going forward, it’s all about New York. We both love New York, and we need to work on this together," relates Oliver. "When a production comes into town or they’re looking at different locations or looking at studios, we’d love for them to be in the city. Maybe they need to go to Yonkers or maybe they need to shoot in Westchester or Long Island. The end goal is to keep this business in the state and city of New York."
In terms of Big Apple production, the new Julia Roberts flick, Mona Lisa Smile, and HBO’s Angels in America are among the big-name productions that have been shot in New York City recently. A new television series, Queens Supreme, is also being shot here, and established shows such as Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Third Watch continue to use New York City as a backdrop. On the commercial front, Oliver’s list of recent productions includes spots for Wendy’s, All Detergent, Verizon, Snickers, Zales, Jolly Rancher, Herbal Essence and Smirnoff Ice.
Oliver, who makes a habit of attending as many shoots as she can each week, says she has really gotten to know members of the commercial production industry during her six months on the job. In fact, she was introduced to many of the industry’s key players this past fall, when she was called upon to help pave the way for the production of five separate promotional videos aimed at bringing the 2012 Summer Olympics to New York City (see separate story, p. 19).
The pieces were produced pro bono by members of the commercial production community for NYC2012, New York City’s official Olympic bid committee. Partly has a result of those films, New York was chosen as the U.S. city bidding to host the 2012 Games. Oliver says that she, Mayor Bloomberg and Daniel Doctoroff, deputy mayor for economic development, were impressed by and appreciative of the efforts of the spot community to get this Herculean project done. "You were really there for us when we needed you," Oliver says, "and we want to be there for you going forward."
