Parking & Traffic

Whether the production is a small commercial or a huge tent pole movie, most likely there will be the need for parking. Parking generally comes in 3 categories:

o Base Camp: This is where the majority of the production trucks will be located and would typically include: Caterer, Honeywagon, Cast Trailers, Production Trailer, Vans, Wardrobe, Make Up and Hair Trailers, etc,
o Working Trucks: The ‘Working Trucks’ are generally considered those that HAVE to be nearest the set to unload heavy equipment such as: Camera, Grip, Electric – and sometime Props and/or Special Effects.
o Crew and/or Extras: Productions generally need to supply parking for their crew and their extras. It is best to encourage this as you don’t want the crew and extras taking up all of the residents’ and businesses parking.

Every jurisdiction handles this differently, but if a production is taking up metered parking, generally the municipality will post ‘No Parking’ signs or bag the meters and the production will pay for the amount that these meters would normally collect.

There are an endless number of scenarios regarding film work and traffic, but here are some examples:

o Working Trucks are taking up metered parking
 Have to bag the meters
o The production is filming a scene on the sidewalk, but the camera is placed on dolly track in a long stretch of parking lane
 Have to permit the parking lane for camera. If the camera is on a crane or positioned too close to the first lane of traffic, that first lane has to be closed off as well. This is generally done with hired policemen or, if allowed in the jurisdiction, flagmen. Probably with need ‘Intermittent Traffic Control’ (ITC), where police or flagmen hold the traffic while the camera is rolling. Generally don’t want to hold traffic more that 2 – 3 minutes. You may need to consider only permitting this outside of morning and evening rush hours
o The production is filming a driving scene where a car pulls into a parking spot

This totally depends on where the camera is placed. Most  likely will permit a long strip of parking lane on either side of         the ‘picture car’ as you don’t want ‘real’ cars to be coming and        going, as this will cause continuity problems. The camera may         be on the sidewalk whereby an alternate route for pedestrians       has to be figured out, or if the camera is in a driving lane that         lane has to be closed off as described above.
o The production is doing a chase scene on an actual street
o The production is filming a period movie that takes place in 1875.   All cars, meters, street lights, post boxes, newspaper boxes,  etc.  must be removed, and the pavement has to be covered with dirt. This is a situation needing a full road closure.
o The production stages a major stunt involving cars crashing into each other in an intersection.

Intermittent Traffic Control (ITC):

Traffic can be held for visual reasons, sound reasons, or safety reasons. The police will generally determine, based on traffic patterns, time of day, and other reasons, how long can traffic be held between takes. Three minutes is a long time when one is sitting in traffic – so keep that in mind!

Intermittent Pedestrian Control (IPC):

Pedestrian control can also be for visual, sound or safety reasons, but it’s important to know what the law is about holding people up. Generally speaking, it is an ‘ask’ not a ‘tell’, unless it is for safety reasons. Crew should never physically touch a pedestrian, unless there is a safety issue such as a stunt that is about to take place.