MPNCA Filming Guidelines
Resident “Good Neighbor” Filming Guidelines
(Revised May 2022)
Residents who plan to host filming at their property become ambassadors from your community to the production company, and from the production company to your neighbors and the community at large. By encouraging the production company to treat the community with care, residents can help ensure that the filming experience is a positive one for all concerned, and that this company and others will be welcome to return. To this end, the Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association (MPNCA) has developed the following guidelines to assist you the hosting resident in your role as host:
1. When hosting filming in the neighborhood, residents and merchants choosing to allow production at their property should do their part to be “good neighbors.”
2. For each project, please email Joe Stabile (joseph.stabile@mtparannorthside.com) and Cathy Barshay (cathy.barshay@mtparannorthside.com), the current MPNCA Film Liaisons, with the following information so the MPNCA is prepared to support your permit. A form for this purpose is attached hereto for your convenience.
- Name of business or residence contact, address and contact information
- Name of Production
- Date and Times of Filming
- Description of Filming Activities
- Local Production Contact number and email
3. Neighbors' concerns should be properly addressed to ensure the shoot goes smoothly and is a positive experience for everyone involved.
4. Every effort should be made to ensure that production company members do not disturb your neighbors, especially if hosting filming requires preparation days involving construction to "dress" your property prior to actual shoot days.
5. Make it a point to introduce yourself to your neighbors and personally notify them that filming will be taking place at your property.
6. Discuss the company's parking plans prior to the shoot and convey any concerns voiced by your neighbors. This will avoid problems like blocked access to driveways, alleys, or streets that can cause ill will between you and your neighbors.
7. Hosting filming frequently can take a toll on your neighbors who may not receive the direct financial benefits that you enjoy. You may want to consider ways you can give something back to your community for the inconvenience, such as financial support for various MPNCA activities such as the security patrol
8. Personal vehicles of cast/ crew are not permitted to park on area streets. The production company must arrange off-site parking and cast/ crew must be shuttled to and from the location.
9. Parking of production equipment is limited to one side of the street. Film company vehicles shall not interfere with gardeners' activities, trash pickup, safe use of the streets or access to resident driveways or alleys, unless approved by the affected residents in writing.
10. When filming occurs at night, excessive bright lights and noise may disturb your neighbors. Prior to filming, be certain to discuss such activities with your neighbors who may be adversely impacted and make sure the production company addresses their concerns. People want to feel that they have been included in decisions about activities that may directly affect them.
11. You must notify the MPNCA Film Liaisons if there will be an ambulance, fire, guns, “bombs,” any loud noise or a police scene in your film. The Film Liaisons will send out a notification that “this is not real” to all neighbors and the MPNCA security team.
12. The film and prep activities should be limited to the homeowner who has contracted specifically with the production company for the filming and for which a COA permit has been obtained. Residents and production companies should not ask other MPN neighbors to stop their normal activities like yard work, deliveries, or request use of their property for the production unless prior written approval has been obtained from said MPN neighbors. In all cases, production activities should never block a street in a manner that would prevent deliveries from being able to be made at all times.
13. Please remain cognizant of the local schools in our area and their related school bus schedules. Any filming involving streets used by said buses will need to avoid negatively impacting the bus schedules.
14. Consider taking "before and after" pictures of your house, trees, sidewalks, driveways, etc. so in the event there is ever any damage caused by the film production, you have some evidence.
15, The standard approved filming hours are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday - Friday. Please note that the MPN community has a “Hard Out” at 10:00pm (unless a different time has been agreed to in the COA permit). This means production must be finished filming for the day at 10:00pm and all film company related trucks, tents and trailers must be gone as well by this time. Any exceptions must be requested to the Film Liaison at least 48 hours in advance. Any extension of the standard filming hours may require that affected residents be surveyed to identify neighborhood concerns and the approved date, hours and activities must be specifically indicated on the permit.
If you have been contacted about filming on your property and have any questions, please feel free to email the MPNCA Film Liaisons, Joe Stabile (joseph.stabile@mtparannorthside.com) and Cathy Barshay (cathy.barshay@mtparannorthside.com), who are happy to help guide you through the process.