movies on location

[nikerret]

One can choose any tactical cop movie and bet it will take place in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago.

When the audience sees a scene with dozens of police cars, do the cities usually work with the movie producers?

I would imagine it would be quite expensive for a movie company, when they may be able to pay the city instead.

Do the PD's usually work well with movie makers?

Thanks,
nikerret

[phantasm]

The NYPD cars in movies are usually not real NYPD vehicles. For the WTC movie by Oliver Stone at least 2 vehicles were on loan from the PAPD for use by the movie company.

[LA5150]

The movie studios (and I used to work at one, so I know) have replicas of police vehicles, or they rent them out from companies that own them. The city may sell or rent out actual police cars that are no longer in use to a film production, but I don't know for certain that is something that is done.

To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen a genuine LAPD car in a movie or TV show in the last 20 years. They may look like ours, but they aren't. There are subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences that only those of us who work in them would be able to spot. For instance, our logo is one big giveaway: "To protect and to serve." In the movies, it will read, "To serve and to protect" or something similiar.

The city cooperates with film crews, but is paid for it. Crews must get permits, which cost money, from the city in order to film and/or close down city streets for the shoot. Productions usually pay residents in order to film the outside of their houses, or to set up camp on their street for a film shoot.

[highwayman]

Most of the stuff you see in the movies are all props which are filmed inside studios that the producers rent to shoot a particular scene.

Now with computers and graphics a very small percentage is filmed in real life.

[smcc360]

The NYPD has an entire unit designed to support movie and television productions filmed in the city. Regulating pedestrian and vehicle traffic, arranding parking, etc. I know a couple of guys who work that gig; you need a pretty good hook to get in on it.