News
Proposed Ordinance In Red Bank Would Charge Fees For Filmmakers
By John Burton
RED BANK - For those seeking to use borough locations for a backdrop, whether it be for movies, TV or print work, there will likely be a cost associated with it in the near future.
The Borough Council, along with its attorney, at Tuesday's meeting discussed the parameters for a possible future ordinance that would regulate and charge for the use of borough locations, whether they are used for moviemakers, for video or for still photography.
The borough council, up to now, didn't place any financial constraints for those seeking to use sites in town for the work. The governing body traditionally deferred to the special events committee for its recommendation prior to granting permission for allowing filming exteriors in the borough. The committee, comprised of the borough clerk, police chief and others, evaluate a variety of requests, from the annual street fair and Kaboom! Fireworks on the Navesink annual display, to those asking permission for block parties and car shows, among many others, which may impact the borough by having streets blocked off or in other ways.
The proposed ordinance, being drafted by Borough Attorney Thomas Hall, would place "reasonable parameters" including a fee schedule for those requesting to use local sites, according to Mayor Pasquale Menna.
"It's reasonably prudent to charge a reasonable price," Menna said on Tuesday.
"We are still getting a number of requests," to use the borough for filming, Menna continued, also noting other municipalities, such as Montclair, have similar laws charging filmmakers.
"I think what you need to do is look at the impact on the town," explained Hall, and charge accordingly. If a major Hollywood production were to roll in, shutting down streets, requiring police to direct traffic, that would be on the higher end of the scale, as opposed to a smaller independent work that would have considerably less impact. "You need to look at what they're doing," Hall said.
The council should also consider an exemption for government projects, say a commercial sponsored by the state's Board of Tourism, or for educational uses, Hall added.
Council members are expected to review the draft ordinance, and possibly suggest changes, prior to being formally introduced, according to Menna.
Last month a San Francisco-based production company had spent much of an afternoon set up at the corner of East Bergen Place and Broad Street, photographing a faux traffic accident for what would be a magazine advertisement campaign for an insurance company, and requiring a police presence to direct traffic at the intersection.
