New York on Location is Coming to Astoria in September

We wanted to let you know about this amazing event coming later in September—New York on Location. It’s going to happen on the Kaufman Astoria Studios backlot on Sunday, September 21, 2014 (rain date: Sunday, September 28, 2014) from
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.—yes, right in the middle of the Kaufman Arts District. It will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about and celebrate film production in New York. And it’s free! Here is more info from the press release from MOMI:

Museum of the Moving Image, Theatrical Teamsters Local 817, and Kaufman Astoria Studios will present New York on Location, a day-long, free family-friendly outdoor event that offers a behind-the-scenes look at film production in New York. The public will have the rare opportunity to go inside 20+ working movie trailers and trucks—straight from productions shooting in New York—and speak directly with movie professionals about what they do on set.

Trucks will include star dressing rooms, electrical, grip, prop, camera, hair and makeup, wardrobe, special effects trucks, and more. Key film craftspeople will demonstrate and explain firsthand their roles in the moviemaking process and how they got there. In addition, stunt professionals will present high falls, street fighting, stunt driving, and more. Food will be available from movie catering trucks.

New York on Location will take place in the new gated backlot at Kaufman Astoria Studios (current home to Orange Is the New Black, Nurse Jackie, Sesame Street, and other productions), at the Museum, and on surrounding streets. The Museum will be free all day and invites visitors to explore Behind the Screen, its dynamic core exhibition on how film and television shows are made, marketed, and shown.

New York on Location is presented in collaboration with the Governor’s Office for Motion Picture & Television Development and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

We’ll bring you more information as we get it. Meanwhile, mark your calendars for this awesome event!

UPDATE, 9/8/14: We’ve received additional details about what’s scheduled for New York On Location—here are some of the things you’ll get to see and experience:

• Award-winning stunt performers demonstrating high falls, street fighting, and stunt driving
• Makeup artists and hair stylists demonstrating applications for everything from a glamour look, to cuts and bruises
• Weather effects including rain, snow, and wind created by special-effects craftspeople
• A look inside a camera car, a rigged vehicle that supports the filming of scenes set in cars
• Treat trucks, the specialized movie catering trucks that provide Friday “treats” to those working on movie sets, serving food for purchase to the public; vendors will include Papaya King, Jiannetto’s Pizza & Catering, Fun Buns NYC, and Brooklyn Popcorn
• A deluxe star dressing room, known in the industry as a “triple pop-out” trailer
• Honey wagons, a.k.a. the restrooms to the stars, available for the public to use

These stunt performers (members of S.A.G.-A.F.T.R.A.) will be there, and their collective resume is impressive, and many of these shows are filmed in LIC and/or Astoria:

• Frank Alfano, Jr. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); Drivers East drivers (Good Fellas, Dark Knight Rises, The Wolf of Wall Street, Blue Bloods) performing car stunts
• Fight choreographer Chris Colombo (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Following, Elementary)
• Chris Barnes (Blue Bloods, Men in Black 3, The Bourne Ultimatum) will coordinate high falls
• Stunt coordinator Tim Gallin (The Departed, Bourne Ultimatum) who is organizing the stunt demonstrations
• Chazz Menendez (Limitless, Nonstop)

Carl Goodman, Executive Director of Museum of the Moving Image, said about this event, “New Yorkers have grown accustomed to seeing movie trailers and trucks in their neighborhoods. New York on Location will allow them to step inside and talk to the dedicated and talented men and women who work behind the scenes in the film industry; and showcasing the work is at the core of the Museum’s mission.”

The day is sponsored by AirbnbNYC, I.A.T.S.E.(International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees), CBS Corporation, Comcast NBCUniversal, Motion Picture Association of America, Inc., Paramount/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Sony Pictures Entertainment; with Variety and Yelp as media sponsors.

One Comment

Kimmay September 6th, 2014

I’m totally going to this with a friend :D We’re wondering if we need to sign up or just show up? Any updates? Excited to check out all the sets! xo Kimmay

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