O'Fallon

About O'Fallon

If it weren't for the Mississippi River forming the border between the states of Missouri and Illinois, O'Fallon would probably be a suburb of St Louis rather than a city in its extensive metropolitan area. O’Fallon is actually closer to Louisville, Kentucky, than Chicago.

O'Fallon has a history that dates back to the golden age of the railroad, and that's something that's celebrated both on the city's seal and its museum. O'Fallon also has a history that dates back to the golden age of cinema, as it was the birthplace of one of the industry's biggest early screen stars, William Holden.

Whether or not it was the ghost of William Holden the Ghost Hunters were hoping to encounter when they recorded an episode of the long-running series at the CoffeeHouse in O'Fallon is something that hasn't been mentioned. If they had come across him stalking his old turf, he'd probably have a lot of interesting tales to tell about Hollywood back in the day.

When filmmakers from St Louis are looking for a b-roll location or somewhere with a more dated appearance than the skyscraper-full city, it's O'Fallon they head to. O'Fallon's main street has that indescribable old-world atmosphere created by the facades of the historic buildings that line it on either side. There's even an old soft drink parlor that can lay claim to being the youthful haunt of actor and ex-president Ronald Reagan.

While it might be tempting to just wander down O'Fallon's main street to see what you can find, save your shoe leather and have a look on Giggster for filming locations in O'Fallon. After you've discovered what you're looking for, the only other thing you'll need to inform yourself of is the filming regulations for O'Fallon, St Clair County, and the state of Illinois.

Do I Need a Filming Permit in O'Fallon?

You may need a filming permit to film in O'Fallon, and then again, you may not. Whether you need to obtain a filming permit depends on the location or locations you have selected for your film shoot.

There are also other factors involved in the local authorities' decision as to whether your activities require permitting or can be done without. They include the following:

If you're hoping to film on any public property or in the city's public parks, then you will need to apply for a film permit before you start shooting. You will also need a film permit if your film shoot involves the closure of any public highway or street, the interruption of vehicle traffic, the closure of a sidewalk, or the interruption of pedestrian traffic.

Should your production involve the use of child actors or animals, you may also need to apply for a film permit. Illinois has strict regulations about filming with children and animals, which you will need to be fully aware of before commencing. You can find out more about this subject in the special requirements section of this article.

You may also need to obtain a filming permit or special license if your film shoot involves fake firearms, special effects, or dangerous stunts.

Permit Management in O'Fallon

City of O'Fallon

While the City of O'Fallon authorities manages permitting in O'Fallon, they won't be your first port of call. The city has no film office or department dedicated to the issuing of film permits. The first thing you'll need to do is contact the Illinois Film Office for assistance.

The Illinois Film Office does not issue film permits but will act as a go-between for production companies wanting to film anywhere in the state except Chicago, which has its own film office.

You will need to contact the Illinois Film Office and explain your project to them, and they will then advise you of the correct City of O'Fallon departments to get in touch with should you need to.

The departments you may need to contact concerning your filming activities are:

The City of O'Fallon Police Department

The City of O'Fallon Fire Department

The Parks and Recreation Department

The Planning Department

As you won't be applying for a permit from just one department but possibly liaising with various different ones to obtain the permissions you require, it can be time-consuming. Make sure to start the process well in advance, or you might find yourself having to change your proposed shoot date.

What Insurance Do I Need in O'Fallon?

The City of O'Fallon does not publish any specific requirements regarding liability insurance for filming in the city. Seeking the advice of the Illinois Film Office on the subject is a good idea, especially if your film shoot involves filming in public places, filming on public property, stunts, or special effects.

To give you a general idea of what level of coverage you may need to obtain, you can use the minimum requirements of the Chicago Film Office as a guideline.

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 O'Fallon?

To give you a general idea of what level of coverage you may need to obtain, you can use the minimum requirements of the Chicago Film Office as a guideline.

Example Minimum Liability Insurance Coverage

General Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence

Employee Liability - $500,000 per occurrence

Automobile Liability - $1,000,000

Property Damage - $1,000,000

Whether the City of O'Fallon requires you to have insurance or not, it's always the best policy to have adequate coverage. If things go wrong in any way while you're filming, property gets damaged, or someone has an accident you could be held liable for, you won't need to pay extortionate compensation out of your pocket.

Special Requirements in O'Fallon

Filming With Child Actors

The state of Illinois has strict regulations concerning the employment of children, whether it's for filming purposes or any other activity. If you're going to be filming with child actors, then you need to be fully aware of those regulations, or you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

In Illinois, all children under the age of 16 are classed as minors and must be issued a Minor Employment Certificate before they are permitted to work. This applies not only to children resident in the state of Illinois but to any minor from a different state too. Any employed child must have a trust fund that meets the requirements of the Illinois Uniform Transfers to Minors Act.

The amount of time a child may perform a day is restricted by age and must be balanced, according to law, by sufficient rest breaks and time off set. A full breakdown of the working hours restrictions can be found on the webpage of the Illinois Film Office.

Provisions must also be made by the production company to provide tutoring or age-related activities. The minimum amount of schooling time permitted is one hour per day. During makeup or wardrobe sessions, the minor must be accompanied at all times by a parent, guardian, or chaperone.

The above regulations are just a brief summary, so if you plan on employing minors in your production, ensure you're fully aware of all of the regulations before starting filming.

Filming On The MetroLink

Should you want to film on either the MetroLink Or MetroBus in O'Fallon for commercial purposes, then you will need to contact the Metro Communications Department. This must be done at least ten days in advance of your estimated filming date, as they will assess the project's viability before giving you permission.

It's possible that you will need to sign a permit and provide a certificate of insurance. You will also be required to pay fees. Fees are decided by the communications department on a project-by-project basis.

What Does it Cost to Film in O'Fallon?

The City of O'Fallon doesn't publish any set fees for filming in the city. That doesn't mean you won't incur any. It all depends on the different departments you will need to liaise with and whether they decide to charge you a permit fee or bill you for their time. Each production project is different, so each one is assessed individually at the time of presentation. If you decide to use any of the following as a filming location, these are the standard rental charges you may have to pay. Once again, the final amount payable is decided at the discretion of the managing department. It may be that the O’Fallon authorities will decide to charge you the same as other locations in the state. Use the fees charged by the City of Chicago posted below as a guideline only. At least with a general idea, you’ll be able to budget for expected expenses to some degree. Example Fees Filming Permit Fee - $250 Student Film Permit - $25 Police Officer - $50 per hour. Police Sergeant - $65 per hour. Fire Safety Officer - $65 per hour Engineer - $50 Firefighter - $45 Minimum Sample Public Property Rental Fees Rocky Springs Rotary Nature Center Security Deposit - $250 Hourly Rental - $50 Full Day (8 am to 11 pm) - $250 Katie Cavins Community Center Security Deposit - $250 Hourly Rental - $65 Full Day (8 am to 11 pm) $650 Log Cabin Rental Security Deposit - $100 Full Day - $250

Additional Fees

Additional fees include costs for permits, location fees (if applicable), administrative expenses, and other charges for city services like police presence, road closures, or parking permits. The exact fees and requirements can vary, so getting this information directly from the city authorities or the film office is crucial.

Geographical Jurisdiction of O'Fallon?

Likening the shape of the terrains that O'Fallon occupies to the piece of a jigsaw puzzle would be an understatement. This Illinois city's boundaries are a higgledy-piggledy line that could have been drawn by a dog with a pencil. O'Fallon spreads its urban reach over approximately 16 square miles of the St Louis Metropolitan Area and is, as the drunken crow flies, about 18 miles from Downtown St Louis. It is one of the biggest cities in southern Illinois and is home to more than 30,000 people. O'Fallon's most northern reach ends at Torchlight Lane, with Ogles Creek forming its northwest border and Weil Road its northeast. Beyond Ogle Creek to the northwest are farmlands. While the city may not quite reach it, the simplest way to define O'Fallon's western border is to use the I-159 as a marker. The I-64 marks part of the city's southern border along with Thouvenot Lane, apart from where an irregular section of the city juts down to Seibert Road and the Cardinal Creek Golf Course. To the southeast, although at some distance, are the Scott Airforce Base and the MidAmerica St Louis Airport.

Should your chosen filming location fall outside of the jurisdiction of the City of O'Fallon, you will need to check to see which town or city has the authority in the area you want to film in. It could be Fairview Heights, Shiloh, Lebanon, Collinsville, or any one of several others. You can check whose jurisdiction the location falls under by checking with the Illinois Film Office.

Outreach in O'Fallon

The City of O'Fallon has no set guidelines for conducting outreach around filming locations. To prevent problems arising during your film shoot from disgruntled residents or business owners, even though outreach isn't a requisite, it's a good idea to do it.

You don't have to go all out unless you particularly want to and make it such a complicated affair as you'd be expected to carry out in Chicago. But doing a minimal distribution of notifications will demonstrate you care about the community and keep you in good stead with the city authorities.

The basic things you should mention in a community notification are:

The name of the production company

A contact name and phone number

Specific filming location

The time and date of filming

If you will be using special effects or the filming involves aggressive scenes, it's a good idea to mention those too, as you don't want the police or fire department turning up unexpectedly because a member of the public has called them.

Most authorities that do request outreach usually expect notifications to be distributed to all of the residential and business addresses within a 300-foot radius of the film shoot location. It's a good guideline to follow even if you only distribute the notifications as a door hanger, you'll have the area covered.

To give the recipients of the notifications time to react, you should distribute them at least 48 hours before the filming is going to be taking place. If you've got a lot on your hands, this is a job you can delegate to a community manager if you have one on your team. If you don't have a community manager, you should consider employing one.

Community Management in O'Fallon

Why go to the extra expense of employing a community manager? A community manager can take care of the responsibility of doing outreach in the community around the film shoot, leaving you free to do other things.

A community manager can also deal with any calls or questions that might arise once the notifications have been sent out. It may be that no one in the vicinity will be opposed to your filming activities, but keep in mind that old-fashioned locations tend to be inhabited by people with old-fashioned ideas, so having someone around who is calm, personable, and good at dealing with that type of mentality won't be anything but a big bonus.

Conclusion

Hopefully, if you've contacted all of the right people after the Illinois Film Office has given you their best advice, then you should have a trouble-free film shoot in O'Fallon. Making sure you have the right permits and permission may be something of a rigmarole as you'll possibly have to contact various city departments, but don't let that deter you. As a filming location for movies based in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, O'Fallon is pretty much second to none, so make you use its unaltered and somewhat dated look to your advantage. It'll look great on screen.

City Guide Filming in O'Fallon, IL

Production Permit Fees

Minimum Insurance

Additional Permits

Discounts