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Citizen request of the day: How much would it cost to shut five blocks of Boylston Street all day on a Friday to make a movie?
By adamg on Thu, 01/25/2024 - 10:20pm
Back in the day, people would use 311 to complain about potholes, trash, rats and the like, but of late, it seems to have become a portal for making all sorts of requests to the city - like interview requests from reporters trying to get Mayor Wu to comment on whatever Fox News or Newsmax is blathering about (or about goats).
Today, somebody filed the following:
I hope this finds you well. This email is to request the cost of road closure for the purpose of filming a motion picture on a public roadway in your city and the procedure for same. This request is for eight hours, beginning at 9:00 AM and ending at 5:00 PM on March 15, 2024 at the following locations: The section of Boylston Street which includes the intersection of Boylston Street and Exter Street through, and including, the intersection of Boylston Street and Charles Street. I kindly request your procedures and a breakdown of the costs associated with this request. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Have a wonderful day!
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Comments
"If you have to ask"
I've done it in several cities and the permit costs are the least of your problems;
If you're in LA and within the 30 mile zone, it's easier than renting a car.
In Boston, and depending on the scope of your production, it will be a long process of glad-handing, in kind gifts, getting tight with former cops and promises of union membership to cousins and nephews. And that's BEFORE dealing with the residents and the VERY important Newbury Street League.
The film industry here is a frog pond stocked with Bluefins.
If you hire the "right" people you'll be fine, if you balk at any "suggestions" you're gonna have a hard time.
"Right People"
Just like when Boston Calling was strong-armed into hiring the union stage hands. Someone with the city always knows who the right people are to hire if you want something.
At the time, Boston Calling was renting city property
(City Hall Plaza) so the city had the right to impose conditions on the rental, such as hiring union labor.
Almost
Yes, the city had the right, via the city’s normal processes for making rules, to require union labor. And there wouldn’t have been an issue if the city had done that. But that’s not what happened in this case, which involved a couple of city officials deciding to make up their own rules on the fly and use intimidation to enforce them.
Case noted.
Case noted.
It was referred to the proper office for this process
https://www.boston.gov/departments/tourism-sports-and-entertainment/how-...
That’s more than I would have done
I would have taken the position that a prerequisite for a street closing permit is to show organizational competence by demonstrating the ability to use things like the Internet and directories.
Not to mention interview requests
I assume a competent journalist would know to contact the Mayor's Press Office, not use an app that's mainly used to report potholes, illegal parking, and when the people down the street put their rubbish out too early.
As someone who responds to stupid requests
It's quicker to just redirect the person, look like you are being helpful, and close the ticket.
It would be satisfying to call them a dope who is wasting time but the feeling is fleeting.
Exactly
Each of us have different skills and hopefully we channel them into doing what we like and are good at.
There's A Boston Film Office, No?
Isn't there a film office for the City?
There was one in the 90's. That's how Kevin Chapman, who ran the office, ended up getting into a few films including ones not filmed in Boston like one of the funniest movies of all time, Black Dynamite.
This is opposed to how Legitimate Business Man Association member Jimmy Flynn got into Good Will Hunting as a judge. "You want catering? Well, then Jimmy is a judge" Such irony.
March 15th is a Friday
At the very least try for a weekend day? This is like asking to shut down the southeast expressway on during rush hour on a weekday.
lol
Not THAT weekend.
"Motion Picture"
I bet it's some college student or other folks trying to put together a super low budget DIY indie film.
If not then it's the most incompetent film production team ever.
That would disrupt busy bus routes
9, 10, 39, and any express buses that leave the Turnpike and stop or terminate in Copley Square.
The 9 and 39, yes. The 10 and 500 series expresses, no.
The 10 and the 500 series express buses do not use Boylston St. Inbound they use Stuart St to Trinity Place to St. James Ave. Outbound they leave St. James Ave, cross Dartmouth, and either continue up Huntington, go left on Stuart to Dartmouth St (the 10) or enter the turnpike at the onramp in the middle of Huntington Ave (the 500 series). The 9 and inbound 39 (we well and the inbound 55) do both use Boylston St though.