Promotion: Free Photo Shoot With Property Listing

I don’t know about you but as much as we needed this rain I’m starting to feel some cabin fever and a little shutterhappy.

I’d like to hit the road and do some scouting soon.

May through July happen to be the times of the year from which I have the fewest scouting photos.  It also happens to be the time when most production happens in Massachusetts, so having photos of that time of year is very important.

To that end I’m extending a limited time offer of:

A free photo shoot of your property when you sign up for ANY level of entry in the database!

Normally I only give free photo shoots to properties that sign up for the Premium level listing but I will extend that to all levels of listings as long as you schedule the shoot before July 31st.

If you do opt for the premium listing I will include use of all the photos for a real estate listing and/or marketing of your business at no extra charge (usually $100).

If you are interested in having your property listed please email me at evangregg@locationreservoir.com or fill out this form below.  I am looking for all types of properties including homes and businesses.

Please click here for more information about levels of listings.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Phone Number

Town Or City

New Field(required)

Commercial Property Residential Property

Describe The Property(required)

Submit

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Please Welcome NCTV To The Vendor Guide

Northampton Community TV

I’m happy to announce the addition of Northampton Community Television to the Vendor Guide.

NCTV is best known for their diverse programming available on local cable channels 12, 15, and 23 and online.

What not everyone knows is that they also offer rentals of their equipment and facilities to the public.

Available rentals include

• HD cameras
• Microphones
• Sound mixers & recorders
• Lighting Equipment

Production Facilities include:

• Editing Suites
• Studio and Control Room

If you need a camera or other gear for a quick shoot or need to finish some editing or tv studio with digital switching capabilities give them a call.  Also check them out on Facebook and on Twitter @northamptontv

Here is a PDF with a list of the equipment and facilities that are available for rent:  NCTV List of Rental Services

Western Mass? Sure I’d Film There!

I recently sent out an announcement in the form of this email about the new and improved Location Reservoir to over 100 of my friends and colleagues who work in film production in New York City and beyond.

I also took the opportunity to give a general pitch to them about why they should film in Western Massachusetts, whether they used my site or not.  The response was even better than I had hoped.

The compliments about the site were great but even more exciting was the response to the idea of filming in Western Mass.  Not only were they open to it, they were enthusiastic.  My favorite line came from a colleague who had provided some of the inspiration for my moving back to Western Mass 3 years ago, and ultimately for the Location Reservoir itself.  She said “I would give my left arm to come back up to MASS and work again.”

Yes, that’s right “back” to Mass.  She has worked in the area on several projects in the past and even though it was years ago she still has fond memories of the area and would definitely film here again.  In fact when we worked together on a job that I found rather tedious (seriously how many upscale office building lobbies can one guy scout) I enjoyed hearing about her scouting and shooting in places in Franklin and Berkshire counties that I had barely even heard of while growing up in Amherst.  Even to a local they seemed exciting and exotic.  I had always seen potential for production in Western Mass but hearing from someone who had actually realized that potential did a lot to encourage my decision to move home.

Not everyone is willing to sacrifice a limb to film here but all of the reactions I received were positive.  I’ve always been convinced that if Location Scouts ran the industry places like Western Mass would have as much production as they could handle and there would be a lot more interesting films in the world.  Scouting the same properties over and over can get pretty boring, even in a place like NYC.  I have trouble even watching most productions shot in NYC because I get sick of seeing the same apartments, lofts, rooftops and bars that I scouted 5 years ago.

As encouraging as the response to my pitch was there are still real obstacles preventing Western Mass from realizing it’s full potential as a filming destination.  I have been working alongside The Berkshire Film & Media Commission for several years now to find a way through or around those obstacles.  With their help and that of the community as a whole I hope to have the chance to show more of my friends and colleagues why those who have filmed here can’t wait to get back.

I will soon be sending out another email to these same contacts with some new locations that I have added to the database.  There is still room for some more properties to be included in that email as a featured location.  By adding your property you can ensure that it will be seen by members of the industry and who knows, maybe your property will be one that is so unique that they have to film here.

If you would like to add your property to the database you can email me directly at evangregg@locationreservoir.com or for more info please click here.

Introducing “Where In Western Mass Wednesdays”

Starting tomorrow (Wed 3/26) I’m going to do a weekly game every Wednesday of “Where In Western Mass”.

I will post 4 different photos of the same Western Mass location on Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Twitter (1 per service). The first person on any social network to respond with the correct location by commenting, sharing, replying, or retweeting will win your choice of an:

• Advanced User subscription to The Location Reservoir for 1 year (a $200 value)

• Enhanced Level Listing in the database for your residential or commercial property for 1 year ($100-200 value)

As an Advanced User you will pay no fees for contacting any of the properties in our database at any point during that year and enjoy discounts on any other services.

An Enhanced Property Listing in the database includes 20 photos, in depth logistical details about your property, promotion of your property through social networks and other means, and free access to your contact for any paid subscriber.

Guesses will be accepted anytime through Tuesday.  You can guess as many times as you want but only the first correct guess will count.

All photos will be of publicly accessible locations in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, or Hampshire counties.  The properties might or might not be in the database.  I will try to mix up the difficulty of the photos throughout the services.

Click here for more information about subscriptions

or here for more information about listing a property

If you don’t already you can connect with me by clicking on the following links:

Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest

Good luck  and please share this with anyone who might be interested in some fun and games!

Mass Production Coalition Announces New Resource For Career Opportunities

The Mass Production Coaliton has added a “Career Resources” section to their website where you can find listings for all types of legit paid work in the industry.

There are plenty of sites that list job opportunities but coming from the MPC you can be assured these are verified PAID jobs and not just another “award winning filmmaker” asking you to work for “copy and credit” (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Check it out here:

http://massprodcoalition.org/category/career-resources/

New Mass Film Office Website Has Launched!

The Massachusetts Film Office has officially launched their new website at http://www.mafilm.org

It features a location database with just a few (around 2,000) photos by yours truly of Western Mass.  It also has a step by step guide to the state tax credit, information on local permitting procedures, and a really cool new “For Locals” section where you can post film events, organizations and anything related to film production in Massachusetts.

You can sign up for their mailing list there too.  I’m not sure if the email I got will go out if you sign up for the mailing list at this point but if you’d like me to forward it to you just shoot me an email and I’ll do so in exchange for you signing up for my mailing list which you can also do by clicking here.

Announcing the Western Mass Location Photo Project

A couple weeks ago I posted about the location photo project I have been working on for the Berkshires.  Well, I am happy to announce that I am now doing the same for Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties!

Over the next few months I will be assembling 500 photos of each county as their contribution towards a state-wide database of properties being assembled by the Massachusetts Film Office designed to attract film production to ALL of Massachusetts.

I will be using many photos from my archives but as much as I’ve tried I haven’t been able to scout everything in Western Mass yet.  So, in order to fill the quota as quickly as possible I am looking for contributions from property owners and photographers.

If you have photos of a property that you would like to have included in the MFO’s database please email me at scout@locationreservoir.com.  All you have to do is send me the photos and a little info on the property and I’ll handle the rest.  I will also list myself as the contact person for the property so that you don’t have to handle calls from random producers and directors and so that your contact info remains private.

If you are a photographer who has any photos of the region that you would like to donate also email me at scout@locationreservoir.com you will be given photo credit in the database and retain ownership of the photographs.

I will also be hitting the streets and criss-crossing the entire region (literally every town) to scout more properties.  There will be NO CHARGE to scout properties managed by non-profits (up to a certain size), town/city/state owned properties or the first property in any category.  For instance I don’t have any office spaces in Hampshire, or Franklin Counties, so whoever contacts me first gets whatever size office space scouted for free.  Depending on the size of the offices that could be as much as $300 value.  For additional properties in any category I will charge only a flat rate of $75 for a business and $50 for a private residence.  That’s less than half of what I usually charge for a full scout and there will be no mileage costs or time limits.

In case you’re wondering if it’s worth it, you should know that the MFO database is part of a larger international location site called Reel-Scout.  The site both contains location photos and is accessed by producers from all over the world.  If you were to add your own property to this website it would cost you $12.95/month and you wouldn’t have the added benefits of being associated with the Mass Film Office.  Also you would have to deal with the tedious sign up process.  Instead, let myself and the MFO take care of that for you.

I am currently updating the list of categories of locations that I have and need and will post a link to it sometime this week.

Thanks for any help you can provide towards this exciting project that is sure to bring more film production to the region!

Berkshire County Location Photo Project

You may have noticed that I haven’t been updating the website very regularly.  That’s because I have been focusing on a specific project for awhile now.  It has now gotten to the point now where I’m ready to announce it.

I have been shooting and organizing location photos for the Berkshire Visitors Bureau.  This project is in response to a request by the Massachusetts Film Office (which is now under the auspices of the Office of Travel and Tourism) for each Regional Tourism Council in Massachusetts to provide 500 photos of the regions they represent towards a state wide location library.  As an extension of this I am also helping the Berkshire Film & Media Commission to revise and expand the library on their website.

To that end I am selecting photos from my archives, shooting new ones, and soliciting photos from other photographers/property owners to submit to the library.  If you would like to have your property included or have photos that you would consider submitting please email me for more info.  For general questions about what types of photos are appropriate please take a look at this quick guide I wrote.

While I assemble these photos I will be posting them to my flickr stream and Facebook page.  The flickr stream is public so you don’t have to be a member of flickr to see it but if you are please feel free to add me as a contact and all that fun stuff.  I have also created a flickr group where the photos will be posted.  If you have photos of Berkshire County that you would like to have considered for the submission or just included in the pool feel free to add them.  Because only certain types of photos are appropriate I will be moderating the photos.

There are a few other developments in the works and I will post on here as they progress.  In the mean time I hope you enjoy the photos and that you will consider adding to the submission.

2011: The Year In Western Mass Film

2011 was a big year for both The Location Reservoir and Western Mass film production in general.  The film industry in Massachusetts made a rapid recovery from a trying 2010.  That year saw a threatened cap to the film tax credit scare away potential productions that could have shot in Massachusetts.  The cap was eventually voted down by the state House of Representatives thanks to the efforts of The Massachusetts Production Coalition and countless other advocates of the film industry, but the damage had already been done.

In February of 2011, representatives of the state and industry went on a trade mission to LA to make sure that the studios knew that Mass was open for business and that they could rely on the tax credits for their productions.  You can read more about that here.  It was a definite success and productions began looking all over the state as possible destinations for their productions.

In order to capitalize on this increase in production I approached Diane Pearlman, the executive director of The Berkshire Film & Media Commission (BFMC) about expanding the BFMC to include Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties.  Diane had been doing a great job of marketing the Berkshires to the film industry, especially in the face of all the unease surrounding the tax credit but Western Mass is much more appealing to productions and stronger as one region than if we limit ourselves by archaic county lines.  Since that time we have been working to raise money in Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties to provide the necessary resources to adequately represent the region as a whole.

I officially launched the first version of The Location Reservoir in January of 2011 after about 3 months of trying to design and build as professional a site as my limited funds and training would allow.  I had already been shooting various public lands around the Amherst/Northampton area for awhile including a few friends who let me scout their properties as a test run.  I launched with only a handful of properties including:

Cushman Village Center

Downtown Amherst

Fitzgerald Lake

This Lake House

North Amherst Cemetery

The Rendezvous in Turners Falls

By February I had outgrown my very limited web host so after some research I chose Gaia Host and started started adding locations at a faster rate.  At this time I was contacted by Open Square in Holyoke and they became my first paying client.  I was treated to an in-depth tour of the building including:

Creepy Basement

Creepy Basement

Raw Industrial Space

Event Space

Office Space

Future Loft Space

At the same time Diane Pearlman, the executive director of The Berkshire Film & Media Commission began getting more and more inquiries about locations in Western Mass.  The two that stuck the longest were for a lake house and open fields and forests that could be dressed as a 1600’s style farm.  I spent the next several months scouting all over Western mass for options for both films.  Using this blog and the kind assistance of several other community organizations I found many options.  Here are a few with the town where they are located:

Buckland

New Marlborough

Hancock

Cheshire

Sandisfield

Cummington

Petersham

Petersham

Ashfield

Warwick

Bernardston

Plainfield

Leyden

Granville

Granville

Becket

Tyringham

Becket

While scouting for those two films I juggled several other location requests through the Mass Film Office and the Berkshire Film & Media Commission.  Most of these projects were in the very early stages and some are still considering the area as an option.

In May I started the Codependent Film Club, an informal group of folks in Western Mass who work in film or are interested in film.  The main focus is an open screen where anyone in the area can show their work and enjoy a few adult beverages.  It’s been a few months since I’ve had time to organize another but I hope to have another soon, so stay tuned.

Big changes came to the film industry in Massachusetts in June when it was announced that Lisa Strout was going to take over the Mass Film Office.  This was encouraging news, as the Film Office had been without a leader since the departure of the previous film commissioner.  This article has more information about Lisa Strout and the future of the film office.  Lisa has already proven herself an advocate of the entire state of Massachusetts and has visited Western Mass twice with plans to return.

As the industry waited for Lisa to take over her post officially I continued to handle multiple location requests for productions of all sizes.

In July I also took part in the first of a series of seminars put together by the BFMC and IS183 Art School in Stockbridge about the different stages of production.  I spoke about my experiences working as a location scout and manager and we had an enthusiastic crowd of folks from all over the Berkshires interested in various aspects of film production.

In August we finally had a production commit to filming in Western Mass.  It was a commercial that you may have seen on local tv or even Facebook for Cooley Dickinson Hospital.  I was hired as a production manager to help with hiring crew, as well as the location manager to scout the locations and facilitate the filming.  While it wasn’t a feature film or anything glamorous they did spend several days here and contributed to the local economy by staying in a hotel, eating out, purchasing supplies, hiring local crew, paying location fees etc.  You can see the videos and other components of the campaign here.

This ended up being only the first of two hospital shoots this year.  In October I was contacted about a shoot for Baystate Hospital in Springfield.  After a few delays (including the October snow storm), they came for a scout and then in December we shot for 3 days.  Keep your eyes out for the finished project and I’ll be sure to post a link when I have one.

So, that pretty much covers 2011.  Clearly it was a busy year with many encouraging developments in the film industry state wide and in Western Massachusetts specifically.  I myself scouted and/or shot in just about every corner of the region and I haven’t even mentioned all the work by local filmmakers that has either been completed or is in progress.

So what’s on tap for 2012?  Well for starters since September I have been scouting locations around Berkshire County for the BFMC in order to expand on and refine the library of location photos they maintain on their website.  I am also working for the Berkshire Visitor’s Bureau to assemble 500 photos to be used as their contribution to the Mass Film Office’s new location library.  Standby for more information on that, or you can email me at locations@berkshirefilm.com.

My main goal for the year is to finalize the expansion of the Berkshire Film & Media Commission into Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties.  In order to successfully advocate for the region the BFMC needs funds for marketing, office space, and to expand the staff of the organization.  If you are interested or can think of anyone who might be interested in making 2012 even better than 2011 by investing in the region through the BFMC please visit the BFMC’s website and mention that I sent you.

Thanks for reading and supporting film production in Western Mass and have a Happy New Year!

My First Film Shoot in Western Mass

I spent the past two weeks Location Managing and co-Production Managing a commercial shoot for Cooley Dickinson’s new advertising campaign.

We filmed two sets of interviews/conversations between former patients of the hospital describing their experiences.  We filmed at The Bars Farm in Deerfield and The Academy of Music in Northampton.  We used equipment from Lime Light Productions

In addition to my usual location duties I helped line up crew and deal with some additional logistics.  Using the Berkshire Film & Media Commission and newenglandfilm.com I managed to fill most positions locally except for craft services, wardrobe, 1 PA, and hair/make-up.  So, if you’re looking to break into the business in Western Mass, there are some good places to start!

We had a delicious meal catered by Nancy Jane’s Catering of Amherst in the Dynamite Space in the basement of Thornes to get us through our day.

The producers, director, and some key crew were from Kansas City, Missouri and while they were in town they ate at restaurants throughout the valley including Sylvester’s, Carmelina’s, Eastside Grill, Judies, The Northampton Brewery and made use of rooms at the Hotel Northampton left emptied by Irene.  They even did a little clothes shopping and bought some UMass baseball caps as souvenirs.

For a 1 day shoot they put quite a bit of money into the community at a time when it was dearly needed.  It wasn’t a very high profile production as far as star power or glitz and glamour but everyone who I spoke to in the area was excited to have them around.

The out of town crew and producers were all very taken with western Mass and look forward to shooting here again as well as coming back on their own time as tourists.  One of them even has an interesting concept for an online series and is considering relocating the production here to take advantage of the tax credit.

Perhaps more importantly, the Western Mass crew were very encouraged that a production like this could come together so quickly and smoothly in Western Mass.  They spend much of their time commuting to Boston and NYC and would much rather be able to work closer to home.  Like myself and the Berkshire Film & Media Commission they are committed to increasing production in Western Mass.

If you want to see more production like this happen in Western Mass, please consider donating to the Berkshire Film & Media Commission.  Your donations will not only help provide jobs closer to home for those already in the industry but also create new opportunities for others in Western Mass to get their start.

If a small, one day shoot can bring as much to the local economy and community as this commercial did just imagine the impact of a full feature film and a steady stream of short shoots like this one..  You can donate by clicking here and make sure you tell them The Location Reservoir sent you!

And of course if you are interested in having your property considered for future shoots please email me to discuss being added to the location database.  As you can see once you’re a part of the Reservoir I take every opportunity to promote your property and business both before and after a shoot takes place there.

Also, thank you to the Northampton Center For The Arts, R. Michelson’s Gallery, and APE Gallery for allowing me to scout their properties for consideration for this project.

Here are a few photos I grabbed with my iPhone while on set.  You may recognize some of the folks in them.

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Introducing The New Head of The Massachusetts Film Office

From the Massachusetts Film Office Website

FILM, TELEVISION INDUSTRY VETERAN SELECTED TO LEAD MASSACHUSETTS FILM OFFICE
Lexington-native Lisa Strout chosen to grow the Commonwealth’s film and television industry

BOSTON – May 23, 2011 – The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) today announced that Lisa Strout, a veteran in the film and television industry and the former director of the film division in New Mexico’s Economic Development Department, will lead the Massachusetts Film Office (MFO) beginning June 15th.

Strout, a native of Lexington, Massachusetts, began her nearly 30-year career in the Commonwealth, working on a number of local film and television projects. She served as location manager on high-profile productions in Massachusetts and Los Angeles before joining the New Mexico Film Office in 2001. During the last seven years as the division’s director, Strout has helped grow the New Mexico film industry’s economic impact to $3.6 billion and expanded the local workforce from 300 to nearly 3,000. She was also instrumental in attracting such top Hollywood movies as No Country for Old Men, 3:10 to Yuma and The Avengers to the state and, in total, managed 156 major film and television productions throughout her tenure.

“Lisa is a stand-out in the industry and is the right person to lead the Massachusetts Film Office into the future,” said Betsy Wall, Executive Director of MOTT. “She will bring nearly three decades of experience to her new role, and promises to build on our efforts to make Massachusetts the premier destination for film and television projects.”

“I am truly honored by this opportunity to work for the Patrick-Murray Administration and my home state of Massachusetts,” said Strout. “The Commonwealth’s leaders are committed to supporting an industry that creates high-wage jobs and supports local businesses, attracts private investment and grows our creative economy. Together, we will make the Massachusetts film industry tops in the nation.”

Since the start of the year, three major film productions have come to Massachusetts and several more are scouting locations here. Moviemaker Magazine recently ranked Boston the number one city in the country to film and several Massachusetts-based films received Golden Globe and Academy Award honors this past awards season. Local production activity has increased significantly since the 2006 film tax credit law went into effect, generating $161.2 million in new revenues, creating more than 1,800 new jobs and marketing the state to national and international audiences.

MOTT and the MFO remain committed to ensuring Massachusetts is a choice destination for film, commercial and advertising investment and maximizing the return on investment of the film tax credit program.

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About the MFO 
The Massachusetts Film Office is the official state agency charged with assisting movie-making in Massachusetts. It is located at 10 Park Plaza, Boston – within the Mass. Office of Travel & Tourism. Betsy Wall, Executive Director. Phone # 617-973-8400.
Website: www.mafilm.org.

About MOTT
The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) is the state agency dedicated to promoting Massachusetts as a leisure-travel destination. An integral part of the state’s economy, tourism generates more than $915 million in state and local taxes and $14.4 billion in travel related expenditures and supports 121,500 in-state jobs.
Website: www.massvacation.com

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