City Guide Filming in Logan Square, Chicago, IL
Production Permit Fees
- Filming Permit Fee - $250 per day per location
- Student Film Permit - $25 per day per location
- Police Officer - $50 per hour. Minimum 6 hours
- After 8 hours – must be paid at 1½ times the normal rate
- Police Sergeant - $65 per hour. Minimum 6 hours
- After 8 hours – must be paid at 1½ times the normal rate
- Squad Car - $150 per day. Traffic control only
- Fire Safety Officer - $65 per hour
- Engineer - $50
- Fireman - $45 Minimum 6 hours
- After 8 hours – must be paid at 1½ times the normal rate
- Barricades - $5 per day per barricade
- Unreturned Barricades - $65 each
Minimum Insurance
- General Liability
- Employee Liability
- Workman Liability
Additional Permits
Discounts
About Logan Square, Chicago
Logan Square may be the name of a community area in Chicago, but it could just as easily be the name of a TV soap opera. It has that sort of ring to it. Logan Square would also be the perfect filming location for any script set in the early to mid-decades of the 1900s as, superficially, it really hasn't changed much since then.
What sets Logan Square and the neighborhoods within it apart from the rest of Chicago are its wide, tree-lined boulevards, its almost mansion-sized majestic greystone houses, and its artsy atmosphere. Logan Square could be compared to a small town, but one that's been encompassed by the urbanization of a sprawling city. It has that sort of feel to it.
Those qualities have been duly recognized by producers and directors and have been reproduced on screen in multiple movies. While in the majority of film credits filming locations tend to be generalized as Chicago, having film crews on the streets isn't a novelty in Logan Square.
Love came to Logan Square in the 1995 romantic comedy While You Were Sleeping, starring Sandra Bullock and Peter Gallagher. Kevin Bacon also graced Logan Square with his presence during the filming of Stir of Echoes in 1999.
Things turned a little weird when ten years later, the neighborhoods of Logan Square were used as filming locations in the horror-comedy Killer Pinata. It's not the only dark and horrific movie that has been shot there, although many others are not particularly notable. Right now, in 2022, Logan Square is in the process of making a new claim to filming location fame and will be appearing on screen soon in episodes of NBC's Chicago Fire.
There are some superb filming locations in Logan Square. If you want to find out exactly what's available, take a look at the Logan Square filming locations on Giggster. You may have to wait in line until the director of Chicago Fire has finished monopolizing them, but believe it, they're worth waiting for.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Logan Square, Chicago?
You will need to have a film permit before you can film for commercial purposes in Logan Square if you will be filming on public property, the streets, and sidewalks or if your shoot will interrupt traffic.
Getting a film permit for Logan Square isn't too much of a complex process if you follow the correct steps and prepare all the required documentation. It's not a lengthy process for simple productions, and most film permits can be issued within four working days. Applications for a film permit can be made online. Once you've created an account, you will need to complete several forms and then submit them to the issuing authority via email.
It does take longer, up to five days or more, if your production requires road or sidewalk closures. If you will be using a drone, or the shoot involves stunts or special effects, you will need to apply for your film permit earlier as these can take up to ten days to process. The same applies if your shoot is likely to cause any major disruption in the community.
For the most part, if you're filming on private property, don't need any street or sidewalk closures, and are unlikely to cause disruption in the community, you won't need a film permit. If in doubt, always check with the permit issuing authority before you start filming.
Student Film Permits
The majority of student productions aren't required to have a film permit. The only times you will need to have a permit for a student production is if the filming requires interruptions to the flow of traffic or you'll be using a drone or special effects. Student productions involving any of the latter must have a police officer on set during filming.
Permit Management in Logan Square, Chicago
Chicago Film Office & Others
Film permits for filming in Logan Square are managed by the Chicago Film Office. The Chicago Film Office also issues permits for most of the other community areas in the city.
The Chicago Film Office does not issue film permits for filming in the city's parks, on the city's beaches, in the city's harbors and marinas, or in its botanic conservatories. For film permitting, all of the aforementioned locations fall under the jurisdiction of the Chicago Parks District.
The Chicago Film Office does not issue film permits for filming on the city's public transport or at transport stops and stations. The Chicago Transit Authority manages film permits for this type of filming location.
What Insurance Do I Need in Logan Square, Chicago?
To be able to obtain a filming permit for Logan Square, you will need to have the correct general liability insurance coverage. The Chicago Film Office publishes the basic minimum coverage required on their website, but if you have a large cast and crew or are using pyrotechnics or special effects, you may need to have more than the minimum quoted.
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 Logan Square, Chicago?
There are some filming locations in Logan Square that, while they might not fit the script you're working from, you'll probably want to consider b-rolling at some point or another. The first you'll want to check out is the Greetings From Chicago wall mural on North Milwaukee Avenue. A shot of that somewhere in your film, and your audience will have no doubt about where the story is taking place.
Head down Logan Boulevard, and you'll find plenty of the neighborhood's greystone buildings, a lively cafe vibe, the iconic Illinois Centennial Monument, and the historic early 20th-century Logan Theater.
While they don’t match up to Chicago's famous Lincoln Park or have quite as many facilities, Logan Square has more than a handful of public green spaces, including Palmer Square Park, Amadeus Mozart Park, and Kosciuszko Park, where there's a public swimming pool should you need one.
There's a huge variety of business premises available for filming in Logan Square, so whatever you're scouting for, you will find it. Think warehouses that are versatile enough to be adapted to almost any need, an events venue with an old-world look, a video game museum, an art studio, and bars. Restaurants and even a Blues lounge are all anticipating your crew.
There are homes of all dimensions varying from single rooms with period-related furnishings to mansions fit for royalty to more down-to-earth houses that would suit a family-based soap opera or movie. As the old saying goes, seek and you will find, and in Logan Square, you won't need to look very far to find great filming locations.
Special Requirements in Logan Square, Chicago
Code Of Conduct
Because of the sheer amount of production companies that turn up in Chicago to film, the Chicago Film Office has created a Code Of Conduct. All production company employees, cast and crew, and any other personnel should be given a copy of the document to read before arriving in Logan Square. You can download a copy of the Code of Conduct from the CFO website.
To give you a general idea of the content of the code of conduct, here are a few pointers:-
Production noise levels must be kept to a minimum.
The use of special effects and pyrotechnics is limited to the hours between 9 am and 10 pm and must be supervised at all times by either a police officer or someone from the Chicago Fire Department.
Crew members must wear visible identity tags at all times.
All trash should be removed and disposed of correctly at the end of each day's shoot.
The code of conduct also covers pointers on no parking signage and the removal of barriers after filming has finished.
Filming On Chicago Parks District Property
You must obtain a permit to film on any property the Chicago Parks District manages. You can check if the location you have chosen to film at is managed by the CPD or the CFO by checking the map published on the Chicago Film Office website. Alternatively, you can call or email the Chicago Parks District Media Department.
Filming on Chicago Parks District property isn't free, so you will have fees to pay. The fees you'll incur depend on the size of your cast and crew as well as the length of the shoot. Here are some of the fees you can use as a guideline:-
Example CPD Fees
CPD Film Permit Application Fee - $35
Small Crew Filming -1 to 5 crew members
$315 per day per location
Security Deposit - $200
Medium Crew Filming - 6 to 12 crew members
$510 per day per location
Security Deposit - $200
Large Crew Filming -13 to 20 crew members
$1,150 per day per location
Security Deposit - $520
Major Crew Filming - over 21 crew
$2,150 per location per day
Security Deposit - $5,200
Student Filming
$45 per location per day
Security Deposit - $0
Filming On Chicago Transport Authority Property
Before starting filming on any Chicago Transport Authority property, be it a train car, bus, bus stop, or station, you will need to contact the CTA Film Coordinator. You must do this at least 14 days before you want to film.
The CTA is very filmmaker-friendly and will assist you in any way they can, although they will charge you for the pleasure of their assistance. Fees for filming on CTA property are normally discussed at a pre-production meeting and then later invoiced to the production company. You can contact the CTA Film Coordinator via the CTA's official website.
What Does it Cost to Film in Logan Square, Chicago?
Filming in Logan Square incurs the same cost as just about every other community area within the boundaries of the City of Chicago. While the fees set in place are not exorbitant, if you're on a low-budget production, they will eat away at your finances. Below are some of the basic fees your production may incur if you choose to film in Logan Square. Use them as a guideline, as they are not the be-all and end-all. If your production is complex or is considered to be one that will cause major disruption in the community, you may need to pay more.
Additional Fees
For precise and current details about the particular charges and prerequisites for filming in Logan Square, Chicago, it's advisable to contact the Chicago Film Office or the relevant local authorities in charge of permit issuance. They can provide comprehensive information regarding necessary permits, fees, and extra specifications tailored to your filming endeavor.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Logan Square, Chicago?
Logan Square is officially number 22 of the 77 community areas that make up the City of Chicago. It's a relatively small area and covers around three and a quarter square miles of the city's massive urban spread.
Those three and a quarter square miles are all terrain as this neighborhood has no lakes or waterways, not counting a couple of swimming pools. Logan Square is named after the public square, the heart of this Chicago neighborhood, home to just over 70,000 people with diverse cultural backgrounds.
The compact community of Logan Square contains five distinct neighborhoods. They are Palmer Square, Logan Square, Kosciuszko Park, Bucktown, and Belmont Gardens. It is bordered to the east by another popular Chicago filming location, Lincoln Park. To the south of Logan Square are the neighborhoods of Ukrainian Village and Humboldt Park. To the west is Hermosa, and to the north is Avondale.
If any of your chosen film locations should encroach into the areas around Logan Square, you will still need to apply for a film permit from the Chicago Film Office as they all come under their jurisdiction.
Outreach in Logan Square, Chicago
The City of Chicago may be film-friendly, and the Chicago Film Office is there to help production companies. They also have a big respect for the local community and prefer to avoid having to deal with irate residents. For that reason, the Chicago Film Office requires all applicants for film permits to conduct outreach in the area surrounding their filming locations.
The Chicago Film Office requires the outreach to be done in a set way and they publish guidelines relevant to the procedure on their website. You'll find that you will be required to distribute notifications formatted according to their guidelines to the residents and business owners around your chosen location at least 48 hours before you plan to commence filming.
Community Management in Logan Square, Chicago
After Chicago Fire has finished taking over Logan Square, you'd be wise to have a community manager on your team. That major production has caused considerable upheaval in the local community, so the locals might not be quite as pleased as they otherwise would be to see another production company setting up in the vicinity.
Having a community manager around will be a big help in diffusing any quarrelsome occurrence should there be any. They can also take on the responsibility of doing the outreach notifications which is also the perfect moment to do some public relations work.
Sometimes you can't avoid the unexpected, but what you can do is be prepared for the unexpected or at least, your community manager can be prepared for the unexpected while you get on with other things.
Conclusion
Logan Square is a community area of Chicago that has a lot to offer as a filming location. As long as you stick to the filming guidelines and regulations set out by the Chicago Film Office, filming your project, there should be fun and hopefully, problem free.