LOCATION HELL

Ironically, the day the article in the Greater Houston Weekly hits the streets about our struggles with locations, we have a location nightmare...

Early in pre-production I scouted a park that shall remain nameless... It’s perfect for our needs. The first question I asked the staff:

“Do I need any permits to film here?”

Their reply: “NO.”

I called to book the cabin last week. I remind them I’m the guy making the low budget film. No problem. They have me call another department, in a different city to book and PAY for the cabin. 60 day cancelation policy, non-refundable. I book 4 days.

I get there today, remind them who I am, and what I’m doing. I load in my gear, setup my lights, about to get my first shot off when the park manager, who watched me load in for the last 3 hours, stops the shoot. Says I need... guess what... a PERMIT.

A lot of preparation, planning, time and money went into this shoot. It’s too bad I wasn’t properly informed. It’s not like I rolled in a 10 ton grip truck and Warner Bros. came to town. This guy shut us down because he could... with no consideration to the size or scope of the project.

So, I begin the permit process... a call to the Houston Film Commission leads me to the the number of the appropriate parks department that I need to call. Unfortunately they are not the office issuing permits for the park, even though it is under their jurisdiction. Okay...? They give me another number to call, which leads me to yet another person who will have to call me back after they speak with yet another person.

An hour later I’m told that a permit for filming will be $115 per day on top of the cabin rental. Hmmm... The film commission boasts that there is no permit fee in the city of Houston, only registration and required insurance.

So much for the myth of a filmmaking friendly environment in Texas. Shouldn’t there be an office whose sole duty is to act as a liaison for filmmakers, where one can secure all the requisite permits and paperwork with one phone call?

It’s amazing the number of locations that have turned us down. I’m beginning to think building sets may be a better use of my resources. No worries, I will get this picture made! One way, or another.

Oh, the horror...