Want to Film in New York? You May Have to Pay a Fee

Film and TV crews are a common sight in New York City, as a slew of TV shows, commercials, and movies are regularly shot all across the five boroughs.
Until now, however, the right to film here has largely been free.
That’s right--access to city-owned parks, streets and other locales have been there for the taking to TV and movie producers and even students making independent films or music videos.
Budget cuts, however, are forcing the city to come up with new ways to make up the lost revenue, and film permits may now be subject to a $300 fee.
If the fee is approved, TV producers would have to pay the amount once per season, while filmmakers would pay the fee once for the duration of shooting--no matter if it’s an NYU production or the sequel to a major zillion-dollar blockbuster.
While the fee may seem surprisingly low, it’s meant to make it easier for smaller producers and directors to be able to come up with the money and not look elsewhere to film.
Some exceptions would apply: Films using hand-held cameras or taking up a tiny amount of space wouldn’t have to pay the fee, and producers can apply for an exemption based on financial hardship.
The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting had to cut $155,000 from its $2 million budget this year. Most city agencies were ordered last month to cut 7.2 percent of their budgets
TV Shows like “Gossip Girl” and big-budget films such as “Sex and The City” regularly film in New York.

Elmo Doesn't Look A Day Over 3, But Sesame Street is 40

In the beginning, Cookie Monster smoked a pipe (only occasionally, and only in character as Alistair Cookie), the streets were dirty, and buildings were covered in graffiti. For four decades, however, generations of kids have known how to get to “Sesame Street,” which celebrates its fortieth anniversary today. Mayor Bloomberg has declared Broadway and 64th Street--you guessed it--Sesame Street, and today is officially ”Sesame Street Day” in New York City.
The show, which films in New York, has been gussied up through the years and, some may argue, is less appealing for its PC focus. (Yoga? Tofu? Really?) But as, perhaps, the best loved, most popular, and most influential children’s show ever, still known for its trademark goofiness, it deserves every accolade it’s afforded.
The special guest today is Michelle Obama; she suggests that Oscar the Grouch take a bath, and he is understandably concerned by this notion because he might get clean.
If it weren’t for “Sesame Street,” we wouldn't have Elmo or Big Bird or the Muppets. We wouldn’t have seen a children’s show cross boundaries of race and deal with issues like the death of a character, long before other shows tackled those issues. Numerous kids wouldn't have seen their own urban environment reflected on TV, and adults wouldn't have known that children’s shows could be for them, too.
But most of all, we wouldn’t have had the sheet revelry and zaniness that is the show’s hallmark. Generations of kids would still have learned their ABC’s—but perhaps not with as much sheer delight as they did on Sesame Street.