February 7, 2008
Some Castro Businesses Bash Milk Production
Although most of us are giddy that Hollywood has come to our little town to film a moving picture show, others are less than gay about it. Namely, a few Castro merchants who have seen business drop since production began late last month. According to the BAR:
"It has really impeded on my business. We are losing $400 to $500 a day," said Cecil Russell, the owner of Always Tan Skin and Body at 550 Castro Street. "Harvey was a small business owner. He would be against this." Russell said customers to his business have found it a hassle to navigate through the film set. He also complained that cars being used to give the film a period look from the 1970s have hogged valuable street parking.
(But why would people get tans in the middle of the winter? We thought that people used them to accentuate their skin during the summer months. Doesn't a dark varnish look strange in February? Clearly, we're confused. Since sunless tans are trashy, we don't get them. Can someone explain this ritual to us?)
Adding to the decline is local business was the nearly non-stop rain over the past two weeks, which has kept daytime foot traffic at bay. Combine that with the paltry $200 a day most Castro business are being offered in compensation, and you have some steamed merchants. But according to Supervisor Bevan Dufty "the movie will be a benefit for the business district" in the long run. After Milk shooting ends next Friday and the film is released, we'll see if Bev's words ring true.
Until then, why not treat yourselves to a tangerine golden brown tan?
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A winter tan suggests that you just came back from, say, Martinique.
This is a no news item. When you shoot on location the owners, businesses, neighbors always, without exception, get pissed. They take their hand out, are happy with it for a day, then demand more as the shooting progresses. They always think they'll get it too. That's when they get a visit from the biggest grip on set who politely reminds them that they are getting paid, that they agreed to the amount and that a set is a dangerous place and "accidents" can easily happen.
Sorry if I double posted.
A winter tan suggests that you just got back from, say, Martinique. Wait, is that one of the gay islands? I forget.
"navigate through the film set" ??!!
oh please. There is no set. maybe a couple of barricades and changes in facades.
Maybe the UV rays have decimated their brains.
Meh. Bitch over charges for facials anyway.
Plus, San Francisco isn't traditionally known for it's clear-cut seasons. When the weather permits, you can certainly get a tan in the winter. After all, doesn't the catch phrase go something like, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco?"
Well, I've been prompting folks to visit the Castro specifically to see the storefronts circa 1978. Also, this Harvey Milk film will likely be an international release, helping to promote these merchants' neighborhood for tourism for years to come - hello!?!
Then there's that economic downturn, tax season, higher gas prices, home foreclosures ....
Getting to and from the Castro by public transit and foot is just as easy today as it was a year ago. I say bullocks to the complainers .... we need more movie productions here.
Here's some related info. one of my blog's readers sent me:
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PLEASE ATTEND! IF YOU WANT TO GET MORE FILM PRODUCTION TO THE CITY YOU MUST SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!!!
The San Francisco will meet at 10 AM on February 28 to discuss adopting an amendment to Supervisor Alioto-Pier's film production rebate legislation. The amendment would remove the cap of taxes paid to the City for individual rebates (Ordinance file No. 071659), amending the "Scene in San Francisco" Rebate Program, Administrative Code
Sec. 57.8(c)2. This makes the program significantly better actually giving rebates on City costs (as originally intended), not just taxes.
The Rules Committee will hold a special meeting of the Board in the Chamber of the Board, Room 250 in City Hall at 10AM on February 28th.
Support for this amendment is critical to the survival of production in the City. The "Scene in San Francisco" film production rebate program needs your help to make it a more effective program. If you want the only incentive program in the state of California to be something producers believe can make a difference in their bottom line, you must attend this hearing and any hearings that follow, until it is passed by the full Board of Supervisors. In addition to attending the meeting, send a letter to the
Supervisors on the Rules Committee asking them to pass the Ordinance with recommendation to the full Board.
Here is a link to the Board website, Rules Committee to view the Agenda:
http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp?id=35875
Rules Committee
Supervisor Tom Ammiano
415-554-6255, FAX
Tom.Ammiano@sfgov.org
Supervisor Sean Elsbernd
415-554-6546, FAX
Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org
Supervisor Aaron Peskin
415-554-7454, FAX
Aaron.Peskin@sfgov.org
Fewer fake tans is only good for SF.
This production is spoiled. I'll be glad to see it end.
Ya know, as fun as it is to see Our City on TV or in the movies, location shooting is never all puppies and rainbows and unicorns. Inevitably someone is going to spaz and rightfully so, but at the same time need to not spaz and see some of the longterm benefits.
When I lived in Venice Beach they were ALWAYS filming a commercial on the boardwalk, or a TV show, and of course the "Lords of Dogtown" movie. It was such a regular thing, you basically learned to live with it. Plus, all that hassle was creating income for a lot of people, in the end.
BTW, all the tax credits or beating down of nabe spazzes won't really increase the amount of film production in SF. Without permanent soundstages in the Bay Area, we will never become a regular destination for film crews who do more than a week's worth of exteriors and then go back to LA:
http://www.gregdewar.com/2007/06/la_is_in_like_with_sf_on_tv_we.html
http://www.njudahchronicles.com/2008/02/a_few_random_eli_stone_screens.html
haha... Milk production.
Hey, a good ole' SF "Fog Tan" beats one of those fake UV and "Maaco-ish" spray tans any day!
Ummmm... Not every Castro merchant (I'm not one) got paid.. only if you agreed to have your signage altered for the shoot.
I've found it very difficult to get into the ara to park since the shooting began, and am forced to spend my dollars elsewhere for the duration so I understand the frustration of the store owners.