Friday, January 14, 2011

On the Street Where I Live

Just when I wondered what I was going to write about this week, something showed up, literally, on my front porch. There was a notice that they were going to be filming on my street again. This time it was a Volkswagen commercial.
It was kind of last minute notice. The next morning when I opened the shutters the usually quiet street was parked up with vans and trucks. This was a high end shoot. They always seem to use white trucks to carry all the equipment, but this time they were shiny white trucks. One of them was particularly large with windows on the side and a satellite dish on top. Across the street they were setting up table and chairs in my neighbors front yard to use for meals. A catering truck was parked at the curb.

Even where no trucks were parked there were orange cones holding the spots. They had taken over the street. People wandered up and down and I saw a couple sitting on the curb in front of my house with their cell phones and laptops.

It was like a parallel universe out there. They were all going about their business, setting things up as if it was just a set instead of a residential street. And I’m just going on with my usual stuff inside.

The star Volkswagen was parked across the street. A slew of people stood around it, practically giving it a massage. I’m guessing that in the midst of that crowd there was a handler for the car. It’s someone who makes sure no one manhandles it, and there aren’t any smudges on the hood.

I know about handlers from an informercial my husband did for a vacuum cleaner. There was a woman who’s sole job was to shadow the main vacuum cleaner and its backup to make sure they both looked perfect for the shoot. She kept a cloth ready and continually gave the vacuum cleaners a little touch up wipe.

Our parallel universes crossed when I walked Goldy - not an easy task with all the commotion on the street - and some crew guy I passed said hello and commented on Goldy’s light. I have a special collar for her with a LED light on it which lights her way at night and hopefully makes it easier for cars to see us. The crew guy thought it was cute.

They were using the same house they used for Dinner with a Rock Star and the episode of Criminal Minds. Apparently the owners of the house registered their house as a location. There is a limit to how many days a year your house can be used, but you make a nice piece of change if you don’t mind having your life totally disrupted and strangers doing all kinds of stuff in your house.

All the trucks and people stayed for two days and into the night. And then they all left and the street was quiet and empty as usual.

I can’t wait to see the commercial.

12 comments:

Monica Ferris said...

I think it would be fascinating and exciting to have this happen in our neighborhood -- but I can see it becoming a bore, even a real bother, when it happens repeatedly. And, as usual, I'm wondering how I would turn it into a scene in a mystery.

signlady217 said...

How cool! Do you happen to know which episode of Criminal Minds their house is in? I watch that show every week; love it!

Linda O. Johnston said...

It's always a kick to me to see filming going on in places I know, Betty, and then to see the actual show. I'm always especially excited to see what is now LA Center Studios on TV shows and commercials. It used to be Unocal Center where I worked for years!

Betty Hechtman said...

Monica, it is a bit of a nuisance at times, but I always find it exciting. As for a mystery - how about when all the trucks and people are gone, there is a body left behind.

Signlady, I'm afraid I don't know what episode of Criminal Minds it was.

Monica Ferris said...

Betty, good -- and the body is of a stranger wearing a jacket with the logo of the shooting company. Only they never saw him before, either.

Dorothy Ann Skarles said...

Hey, I learned something from your story I didn't know. Rent my front yard to go on TV.

Betty Hechtman said...

Linda, I am embarassed to admit that up until last week I had no sense of what was where in Downtown L.A. For the first time I walked around downtown myself. I went to MOCA, Angel's Flight and the Bradbury Building. I saw the crowd outside the courthouse over the fuss with Michael Jackson's doctor. I went the library, and had to laugh when across the street at the Biltmore Hotel, they were they were filming CSI NY.

Is the Unocal Center what used to be the Arco Center?

Betty Hechtman said...

Monica, thanks to your suggestion, I came up with the first scene of my seventh book.

Linda O. Johnston said...

No, Betty, Unocal Center is across the 110 Freeway from downtown. It was one of the earliest skyscrapers there, in the 1950s. As a real estate attorney, I was involved in its sale years ago. The building was supposed to be torn down. Who knew the building would survive but Unocal wouldn't?!

Betty Hechtman said...

Dorothy, I'm glad you learned something new.

Planner said...

Continuing the murder scene idea: One of the neighbors before and during the filming is very upset about the disruption to the neighborhood and is exceptionally vocal about it. Of course, she/he becomes a suspect. Another neighbor parks a chair outside and watches all day while she crochets. Or, maybe the commercial they're filming is for the bookstore, and Molly is in charge of the event from the bookstore's perspective. Or, the filming is in front of the bookstore on a day when one of Molly's events is scheduled. Or...

I love how you turned this into a book idea!

Betty Hechtman said...

Planner, thanks for all the suggestions!