City Guide Filming in Greenpoint, NY
Production Permit Fees
- New project application fee - $300
- Optional Permit Fee - $0
- Letter in Lieu of an Optional Permit - $0
Minimum Insurance
- General Liability - $1,000,000
Additional Permits
Discounts
About Greenpoint
Greenpoint probably won't be the first to come to mind when you think of neighborhoods in New York City. It doesn't have the infamous fame of Manhattan neighborhoods like Harlem or the Upper East Side, but serious filmmakers have taken Greenpoint to their hearts since way back in the early 1970s.
Greenpoint has a lot of superficial character that relays well on screen, and you're bound to have seen parts of it in movies you've watched. It's a relatively low-rise neighborhood with a surplus of 19th-century rowhouses that were once homes to people who worked in the local industries of the time. While it still carries the moniker of Little Poland, Greenpoint is morphing into a more artsy, Bohemian community which makes it even more of a fascinating place to film in.
You won't be the first to have scouted filming locations in Greenpoint, and you definitely won't be the last. The neighborhood has seen numerous film crews on its streets, and there are even several film and TV studios that are permanently based here.
What movies have been made in Greenpoint? That's a good question. Here are a few, but by no means a full list, as there really are just too many to mention. Al Pacino did his best here when he starred in the 1973 movie Serpico and parts of the 1998 release The Siege with Denzel Washington were also filmed in Greenpoint.
The neighborhood's McCarren Park played host to Jack Nicholson in the 2006 movie, The Departed, but ten years before that, it was Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro filming Sleepers who graced the neighborhood with their presence.
While those movies give you a general idea of the elite film crowd that has chosen Greenpoint as a filming location, there are many more than that. Here's a brief taste:
Going In Style -1979
Quick Change - 1990
Dead Presidents - 1995
Donnie Brasco – 1997
Anger Management - 2003
The Departed - 2006
The Sitter – 2011
Greenpoint has also been used as a filming location for countless TV programs. By choosing it as your filming location, you won't be doing anything unique but following the path of some of cinema's greats. That can't be a bad thing. Take a look on Giggster, and you’ll see why Greenpoint is so popular.
Before you roll up on Manhattan Avenue or the East River waterfront with a camera in hand, make sure you're aware of all of the filming regulations in Greenpoint and New York City as a whole. They apply to the neighborhood of Greenpoint, and there are also a few extra regulations to consider before you start filming in Greenpoint too.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Greenpoint?
The City of New York has one of the most laid back attitudes to film permitting in the entire United States. There are still times, though, when you will need to go through the rigmarole of dealing with film permitting authorities if you want to use Greenpoint as a filming location.
You'll need a film permit if:
You want to have exclusive use of any public property
You're going to be filming using more than a hand-held camera
Your production involves special effects
Your production involves stunt work or prop weapons
Your production involves the use of prop vehicles
When you want to film in a park in Greenpoint
Your production involves the closure of roads or sidewalks
If none of the above apply to the production you want to film in Greenpoint, then you won't need a film permit.
Filming anywhere in New York, Greenpoint included, can arouse curiosity not just from the passing public but also from city employees like the police. The New York filming authorities are well aware of this and so provide filmmakers with the following two non-film permit permitting options.
Optional Permit
An Optional Permit is issued by the New York filming authority to any production that doesn't require a permit. It's a paper you can produce to show you're doing nothing illegal should anyone question your filming activities.
Letter in Lieu of an Optional Permit
A Letter in Lieu of an Optional Permit is a document that shows you've had contact with the city's filming authority, that they are aware of your activity and that your production doesn't require a film permit. NB: There are no fees payable for the Optional Permit or a Letter in Lieu of an Optional Permit, as they are issued completely free of charge.
Film Permits For Student Productions
For the most part, any student production is assessed under the same filming regulations as any other production. If a student production involves any of the key requirements for obtaining a film permit, then it will require permitting. Even if it doesn't, it's wise to obtain either an optional permit or a letter in lieu of an optional permit. Having either one in your possession while filming can save you a lot of hassle. There are two things that the New York filming authorities do insist on for student productions, and they are: Police presence when filming scenes containing prop weapons, actors dressed as police officers, firemen, or paramedics, or if there are prop service vehicles involved. Police presence if the filming authority decides your filming might be a risk to public safety. NB: The New York City Police Department does not charge fees for attending a film shoot, but they are only available to student productions from Monday through to Friday.
Permit Management in Greenpoint
OFTB of the MOME
Film permitting in New York is managed by the Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting (OFTB) of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment or MOME. Optional permits and letters in lieu of optional permits are also managed by the Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting.
The Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting does not manage permits for filming in New York City's public parks. To find out how to get a permit to film in a park, check out the special requirements section of this article.
The application process to get a film permit from the OFTB is an uncomplicated one. All you need to do is register your production on the Online Permit Application app, which you'll find on the OFTB’s official website. Once you've completed and submitted it, you'll have your film permit within seven days.
The process you'll need to go through to get an Optional Permit is similar, but the form can't be submitted online. After you've registered your production on the OFTB's Online Permit Application app, you'll need to print the form, sign and fax it to the OFTB. They will then fax you back the authorized optional permit.
Optional permit applications can also be delivered and collected in person from:
The Film Office
1697 Broadway
6th Floor
New York
NY 10019 (212)
If you want to get a Letter In Lieu of an Optional Permit, you will also need to register with the OFTB's Online Permit Application app. Once you've done that, you'll need to complete an eligibility questionnaire. You'll be able to print the letter once you’ve answered all the questions. A letter in lieu of a permit doesn't need to be authorized by the OFTB.
What Insurance Do I Need in Greenpoint?
You are only required to provide proof of insurance if you are going to be applying for a film permit. If your production is one that doesn't require permitting, you are not obliged to have insurance coverage.
If you are going to be applying for a film permit, you will need to provide proof of insurance before you can submit your application. Your valid liability insurance certificate must be submitted to the OFTB by your insurance broker directly. This must be done at least 48 hours before you begin your film permit application. Insurance certificates submitted directly by production companies are not accepted.
When you're going to be filming without a permit, with an optional permit, or a letter in lieu of an optional permit, it's still worth considering contracting insurance. It's not so painful to have a claim against your insurance as it is to have to fork out thousands of dollars from your pocket.
Student productions, permitted or not, may use their school's insurance. In some cases, the OFTB will already have the school certificate on file, but if not, you will need to submit a letter from your school to the OFTB, and they will contact the school to get it.
If you can’t meet any of these requirements, you’ll need to explain in writing why you can’t meet the requirement to the Office. They will determine if the shoot can go ahead without the necessary insurance.
Note that these requirements are minimum requirements. Larger and more complex shoots may require additional insurance which will be determined by the Office.
What Kind of Filming Locations Are Available in Greenpoint?
The easiest answer, although not overly detailed, to what filming locations are available in Greenpoint would be exciting ones. Greenpoint is a New York neighborhood that really delivers where filming locations are concerned, so be prepared to be oohing and ahhing over what you find here.
The streets of Greenpoint are one of its major good points. Each one has certain attributes that make it different from the others, so if you're scouting for the perfect external shoot location in Greenpoint, you may need to get your hiking boots on and have a wander around.
Streets that have already been featured in several movies are ones like Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue, and Green Street. Green Street runs right from the heart of the neighborhood down to the East River waterfront, where you'll find Green Street Pier. The views of Manhattan across the river from the pier are incredible and make for fantastic b-roll.
The East River waterfront in Greenpoint deserves a mention itself. This part of the neighborhood has undergone recent renovations and can now proudly boast a long riverside promenade, green areas, and sports facilities. If you want to film an actor jogging by the water with impressive views of the Manhattan skyline in the background, then this is the filming location in Greenpoint you need to take a look at.
If you need internal filming locations in Greenpoint, you are not going to be short of choice. Greenpoint's industrial history is, in part, still apparent, so if you need an empty warehouse, they're not difficult to find. Many have been converted into loft-style housing, so there's no shortage of spacious and brightly lit unique living spaces that are big enough to hold cast and crew without being cramped.
Need a tropical indoor oasis full of greenery? You'll find one in Greenpoint. You'll also find Bohemian artist's lofts, apartments with décor as contemporary as it gets, but also others that fit with a 70s, 80s, or 90s theme.
There are businesses available as filming locations in Greenpoint that cover just about every eventuality. Think an Ibiza-style disco, a bar with mid-century décor, a restaurant with industrial-type decoration, a sports bar, hair salons, beauty salons, a jail cell, and even an opera house. Yes, you read that correctly. An entire opera house. It’s not surprising that filmmakers are starting to consider Greenpoint as the filming location in New York. It really does have everything.
Special Requirements in Greenpoint
Filming In Parks
As previously mentioned, the OFTB does not deal with film permitting for public parks.
Filming in most parks in New York, including those in Greenpoint, is managed by the New York Parks Department.
To apply for permission to film in a park in Greenpoint, you will need to complete the Parks Film Shoot Request Form, which you'll find on the Parks Department's official website.
NB: If you are going to be applying for a film permit from the OFTB, then you need to apply for park permission before submitting your application.
Once you have submitted your Parks Film Shoot Request Form, it will be forwarded to the relevant park manager, who will normally respond within five working days. If you receive permission to film in your chosen park, then you can use the park as a location on your film permit application, or if yours is a production that doesn't require one, you can go to the park and film on the dates you requested.
Filming With Special Effects
If during your film shoot, you will be using special effects like pyrotechnics, smoke, or open flames, you will be obliged to have a set inspection carried out by the NYC Fire Department before you can begin filming. It's also compulsory to have a fire safety officer present on set during the filming when pyrotechnics or explosives are involved. The NYC Fire Department does not provide this service for free.
What Does it Cost to Film in Greenpoint?
The film permitting in the City of New York, including for the neighborhood of Greenpoint, carries a one-off new project application fee only. The OFTB does not charge a permit fee or fees per location. In some cases, they will even waive the application fee if hardship can be proved.
Additional Fees
Although the city provides free access to most exterior locations, parking privileges, and free police assistance, private property owners and other government offices may require fees to cover the costs of services, equipment rentals, and other resources used for any film-related activity.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Greenpoint?
Greenpoint is a neighborhood of New York that covers approximately three square miles of the district of Brooklyn. It's a multicultural community that's called home by almost 35,000 people.
Greenpoint is bordered to the west by the East River, while Newtown Creek runs along the entire northern and eastern borders of the neighborhood. To the southwest is Williamsburg and to the southeast is East Williamsburg.
Should you choose a filming location that falls outside of the geographical jurisdiction of Greenpoint, the same permitting rules will apply as all the surrounding areas are within New York City.
Outreach in Greenpoint
While you may escape from paying any permitting fees when filming in Greenpoint, what you won't escape is doing outreach. The OFTB expects all production companies that are going to be filming in New York to conduct outreach before they start filming. Whether you're a student production or a production company filming with an optional permit or letter in lieu of an optional permit, you have to do outreach.
You, or someone you've designated to do the task, will be expected to distribute notifications to the community, both business and residential locations, at least two days in advance of your proposed filming date. The notification distributed must be written to the standard required by the OFTB. If you're unsure what to put in the letter, you can download an example notification from the OFTB website to use as a guide.
Tip: It's a well-known fact that Greenpoint has a high number of Polish residents. As a mark of respect and to help communications, you may want to consider having your notification translated and send it out in both English and Polish.
Community Management in Greenpoint
It's not essential to have a community manager when you're filming in Greenpoint. It's worth considering hiring one for your team, though, and in particular, one that speaks Polish and understands the complexities of the Polish community.
Do your outreach notifications properly, and you may not receive any objections whatsoever to your filming activities. If you do get objections, it's good to have someone on your side who can deal with them in the correct way. Dealing with objections or queries correctly basically means appeasing rather than antagonizing and that, wherever you're filming, takes diplomacy.
Greenpoint isn't an area of New York that's renowned for wealthy or celebrity residents, but that's irrelevant. Normal working folk deserve the same respect as those that consider themselves part of the elite crowd. After all, it won't be the rich or the A-list stars going to the cinema, unless they're on the red carpet, that will up the takings at the box office. It'll be the ordinary people and their families who'll be going to see your movie, so make sure you keep them on your side.
Conclusion
Greenpoint has been and will continue to be one of the most popular filming locations in New York City. It has so much character and many features that are lacking in other New York neighborhoods that it suits a bevy of genres of film. As a filming location, the only thing it lacks is a mountain range or an open prairie. Greenpoint has much to offer!