N.Y.C.

[Guy Meachin]

Hi

 

Just booked a weeks 'vacation' (to use the yank term) in NY. Know nothing about the geography or what's worth seeing there. Can anyone recommend anywhere to do with film or cinematography that's worth visiting? I'm taking my Super 8 with me as it seems like the perfect opertunity to use it

 

Cheers

 

Guy B)

[John Sprung]

The most important thing is, don't even dream of renting a car. Traffic and parking are impossible. Before you go, check out the city's web sites and get to know the subway system. For visitors, they used to have a one or two week one price unlimited pass.

 

Bring comfortable shoes. New York is by far the best walking city in the U.S. Most of what you'll want to see is in a region about 2 miles by 10 miles. There actually is a slight slope to the land, so I found it easier to start uptown and walk downtown, then take the subway back to the hotel.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Guy Meachin]

Thanks for the advice, my walking boots are packed! :D

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

I've spent time in New York on a couple of occasions, and I'll second the walking thing. City blocks in NY seem to be about 25% larger than blocks in other parts of the US! Little lauded but very good is the museum of television and radio - you can view items from the archive, or at least you could in 1999. West 52nd street.

 

Phil

[Guest dpforum1968]

New York is one of my favorite stock footage harvesting locations. Oh and while I'm on the topic, screw you NYC film permit office! I've never got a permit to shoot in NYC and I never plan to, do you guys honestly think the NYPD has time to bust me? Get real.

 

Ooooops I digress, back to the topic at hand.

 

Make sure you go on the Staten Island Ferry it's FREE and gives you a great tour of the harbour. Leaves every 30-40 minutes and there's always lots of space. Don't waste your time or money on the Statue Of Liberty Is, the lines can be long and it's a big rip off. The ferry takes you right past it any way.

 

But be sure and hurry, George W Bush has ordered the Statue Of Liberty taken down and sent back to France, postage due!

 

Also, be sure and get ready to enjoy the many smells of NYC, mmmmm yummy! The pools of urine on the sidewalk are my favorite, after a while you'll be able to tell how long it's been there by how bad it smells.

 

Times Square is always a hoot! I especially like all the burly men with machine guns hanging out there now, there are lots of them. I guess if a hi jacked plane heads into Times Square their job is to shoot it down, now that would be cool!

 

Remember NYC is the place so nice they named it twice :-)

 

DC

[Mark Sasahara]

There are a couple of studios here, Silvercup and Kaufman Astoria Studios where film and TV production occurs every day. Near Kaufman is the American Museum of the Moving Image, plus a big multi screen theater. They don't give tours, but you can witness all of the production trailers and lots of 3/0 cable runs all over the place, if there's a shoot going. I was visiting a friend when they were doing the remake of the Stepford Wives. Didn't see Nicole :~( . Weird to see all these good looking women who looked alike.

 

http://www.kaufmanastoria.com/

 

If you go up to around 207th street-waaaay uptown Manhattan, you can often see "Law & Order SVO" being shot. Look for the Haddad's Trailers and the red Panavision trailers. They're also in Brooklyn a lot.

 

Get the Lonely Planet Guide to New York City, maybe the New York and New Jersey ones too. Philadelphia is not that far away. Maybe two or three hours by train. The PATH train goes to New Jersey, a quick ride. Hoboken is actually quite nice.

 

http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/product_detai...=City%20Guides&

 

and the Not For Tourists guide to Manhattan. Very useful locating ATMs, restaurant, hospitals, restaurants, cafes.

 

www.notfortourists.com

 

also this is a good place to find stuff

http://newyork.citysearch.com/?where=11222...ink=topbar_home

 

Yahoo also started yahoo local. Not sure what that is I assume it's a sort of internet city guide. Haven't seen it, but the ads are all ovr the place.

 

Hope this helps. It's been kinda warm, but windy. Getting colder, esp @ night. Bring your winter gear.

 

An' a course ya gotta go to B&H Camera!!. Times Square is fun at night. No more hookers :~(.

 

Go to www.mta.com for more info on the subway. I hardly ever use my car. She stays in the garage. FunPass or somesuch like John said.

[Guy Meachin]

Thanks, Museum of moving image sounds good

 

What's B an H? Benson and Hedges? :D

 

Also is it easy to buy cini film in New York fairly easy? I'm thinking it might be cheaper to buy it over there. Only problem is that I'm not sure whether Kodak - being the only place in the U.K. who process 8mm I believe - might not process it if it's not been bought in the U.K. as processing costs are inclusive with the film.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

I bought some S8 at Calumet in LA; it was of course supplied without the return envelopes. Kodak UK were happy to send me some to have it processed here.

 

Phil

[Laurent Andrieux]

But be sure and hurry, George W Bush has ordered the Statue Of Liberty taken down and sent back to France, postage due!

 

He doesn't have to, we were given a copy we're happy enough with ! (in Paris, on the Seine, in the beetween of 15th and 16th arrondissement) :P

 

As to figure out how people are dressed in NYC, according to the wether, have a look here, it's Time Square's webcam :

 

http://images.earthcam.com/ec_metros/newyo...york/lindys.jpg

 

just hit "refresh " if you don't have a webcam viewier

 

Looks like it's much colder nowdays than on the Riviera !

Edited November 14, 2004 by laurent.a

[steveb40]

Don't forget the Film Forum, Anthology Film Archives and you can purchase S8 film without processing at Pac Labs on East 1st street. Shooting in NYC is cool but watch it in the subway; I know two people who got tickets!!!

 

one week subway unlimited card is $21.

 

Also, take the tram(cable car) on 59th and 2nd with your camera for some aerials of mid town and great views from roosevelt island.

Vernon/Jackson stop on the number 7 train; walk west to the waterfront for my personal favorite view of Manhattan. Way too much to list. I grew up here and I find new things every day, on streets I've walked a thousand times. Beautiful place in a loud and ugly way.

 

These days I feel more like a sitting duck - THANKS George Bush/Fox News regime!!!

 

Lots to see. Enjoy!!!

[John Sprung]

What's B an H

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

 

They're a gigantic camera shop with excellent prices. Located at 420 9th Ave., between Javits Center and the Empire State bldg. You might want to make them your first stop.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[John Pytlak RIP]

Kodak's motion picture office is near, at 360 West 31st Street (very close to Madison Square Garden): :D

 

http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/news/nycP.shtml

 

They have a "will call" desk to pick up film, and a full technical staff to answer any questions.

[GeorgeSelinsky]

You certainly don't need a car to get around Manhattan (nor would you want the parking hassle) and certain parts of Queens or Brooklyn, but whenever you go outside of those areas a car is practically indispensable. For instance, if you want to come out to Long Island, or go upstate, or go to New Jersey (don't know why you'd wanna do that :lol: just kidding!), relying on the train and bus is murder, and cab fare will get very expensive very fast - unless you just intend to stay in one place.

 

When in Manhattan get a subway map and be sure to avoid certain areas. The city has gotten safer recently, but it's still got a few areas I wouldn't want to take the subway through, esp. at night (i.e. parts of northern Manhattan and the South Bronx).

 

If you need 16mm or 35mm stock and don't want to buy new, talk to Richard Kalinski or Gary at NY Raw Stock Exchange, (212) 255-0445. Great guys, honest and very reasonably priced. Tell 'em I sent you.

 

- G.

[Guy Meachin]

Thanks all!

[Guy Meachin]

Just got back from NY.

 

Superb place - especially on top of the Empire State at nite!

 

Went to B + H. Pretty good also, bought a new lens for my FM2, some cini film and 'Matters of Light and Depth' - it came highly recommended - anyone heard of it or read it.

 

Can anyone tell me why 90 % of employees in NY are SO RUDE!? Are we over polite in Britain? So they are seriouly moody or unhelpful, then expect a tip! :huh: The thing I couldn't get my head round was that when you meet people in the street they're so nice and freindly. I know it's not just me because my freinds said the same. Maybe NY'ers don't like the English.

 

That aside - I went to see the Machinest in a small cinema in Greenwhich village. What a great film! The old Welshman was superb also! I think this a good example of a bleech bypass (correct me if I'm wrong) also.

 

Anyway it was mostly a thouroughly enjoyable trip and thanks to the NY'ers (those met in the street anyway) :D

[John Sprung]

Can anyone tell me why 90 % of employees in NY are SO RUDE!? Are we over polite in Britain? ..... Maybe NY'ers don't like the English.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Um, well.... That's one of the city's quaint traditions. It has nothing to do with the English, they treat everybody equally badly. Here in LA we have a deli called Canter's that specializes in NY style service. It reminds me of the words of Marx, who said, "I don't have to come here to be insulted. I can go lots of places". ;-)

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Matt Pacini]

"... These days I feel more like a sitting duck - THANKS George Bush/Fox News regime!!!

 

Lots to see. Enjoy!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Gee, I was going to make a comment in rubuttal, but now that I see the chorus of people complaining about the completely off-topic political posts in this thread, I guess I don't have to...

 

MP

[Bill DiPietra]

Um, well.... That's one of the city's quaint traditions.  It has nothing to do with the English, they treat everybody equally badly.

 

 

That's not fair and not true. Take it from someone who was born and raised here, New York is a rough city, but extremely generous. And most people ARE polite. At least the ones I encounter in everyday life. Maybe you ran into a bunch of butts, and if that is what happened, let me apologize to you as a resident of this great city.

 

I will agree that when you get someone with a bad attitude in NYC, it is magnified ten-fold compared to someone who is not a New Yorker. It's just the way it is and you have to learn to deal with it one way or another.

 

Instead of knocking the Europeans, I will say that most British that are in New York, ARE extremely polite. But the ones who have been here a while know that they have to have a bit of an edge to survive here ;)

 

So don't be to hard on us.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

I've never had a problem with people in NY. Slightly abrupt and no-nonsense, perhaps, but I frankly rather like that. On the other hand, the last time I was there I did get to stay in a rather upscale hotel, so perhaps they pay extra politeness money.

 

Phil

[Guest dpforum1968]

Oh I love shooting in NY!! Did a week there this June.

 

And yes New Yorkers are a very entertaining bunch, what makes them that way?

 

At least the city smells less and less like urine every time I go there, that's an improvement.

 

But hey, NY is the centre of the world, nothing out sells NY in ther stock footage biz, nothing!!

 

DC