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Author Topic: Universal Studios Pissing Off Phoenix, AZ Commuters!!! Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-29-2006 02:04 AM                     Universal Studios is currently filming a major motion picture in the Phoenix East Valley (Mesa, AZ). Part of the film was shot on ASU-Polytechnic where I live and am going to school. Anyhow, right now Universal Studios and the Arizona Department of Transportation have many East Valley commuters really pissed off! For the next 3 weekends a major freeway is being closed for filming, which adversely effects thousands of commuters. While there are some people who are excited about a major motion picture being filmed at their back door, there are even more people pissed off about the commuting traffic problem...especially since the Arizona Department of Transportation is closing the major freeway for three weekends without charging Universal Studios any type of fee!  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-29-2006 08:28 AM                        quote: Arizona Department of Transportation is closing the major freeway for three weekends without charging Universal Studios any type of fee! DOT Commissioner must have the IQ of a rhododendron, either that or he's a corrupt SOB (what a surprise....a corrupt political hack) and he's getting a kick-back under the table from the production company. Why haven't the citizenry turn into a raging mob like in FRANKENSTEIN and beat him to a pulp? I know in NYC, if a studio wanted to use public property, we are smart enough to make them pay thru the nose. Disney paid something like 4 million $$$ to use Central Park for their premiere of POCAHONTAS. The Arizona heat must be frying the Commissioner's brain out there, and I bet the Universal executives are giggling over their wine and brie parties.  |  IP: Logged Dave Williams Wet nipple scene Posts: 1836 From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-29-2006 09:14 AM                        So when you say "universal" and "major motion picture"... is this actually Universal that is filming this or have they just picked up the distribution of the film. And when it comes to major motion pictures, there are hundreds of films made in Utah under the banner of "major" and even major studios that have never seen the light of day. There is also the issue that often states will clear any fees and taxes that would otherwise be due in order to gain work and revenue for the locals, as we do here in Utah. It also promotes further film development within the state. I would admit that shutting down an entire freeway or street system makes things very difficult, and coming from Utah where we had our main freeway pretty much down for about four years prior to 2002, it can be a pain in the arse. Was there any appropriate warnings given in order to allow people to accomodate the mess would be one of my main questions. Ciao  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-29-2006 09:39 AM                     This is a Universal Picture due out for release next year. And there are several big name actors/actresses in town for filming. The film has something to do with the Middle East. There was major set construction at the ASU Polytechnic Campus in Mesa (formally Williams AFB). The main entrance...formally the main entrance to Williams AFB was made up to look like the entrance to a military installation in some Arab country. For a few days I had to take a different approach to work and added about antother 20minutes to my commute. This film has been getting a lot of local media coverage. Major car crash scenes were filmed on the portion of closed freeway. Some filming was already done and some was shown on the local major network local news. It was also on the news last night that AZ DOT was not charging Universal for the use of the freeway. AZ Government stated that they hoped that bring major film productions into Phoenix would help boost local business revenue.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-29-2006 09:51 AM                     In Toronto this is a daily occurance sometimes with different film crews shutting down multiple parralel routes creating havock But it also brings in lots of dollars to the city coffers and it isn't uncommon for a film crew to shutdown a residential street and then you don't have access to your own house for the duration all you get is a notice on your door a week ahead of the shoot saying that do to a permit issued there will be no access to this address during the times of _____ on the following days  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-29-2006 10:00 AM                     Here is some info about the Film: Cast and Crew "The Kingdom" is starring Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman. Peter Berg is directing and Michael Mann is producing. Film Synopsis "The Kingdom" centers on Jamie Foxx's character, who is leading an elite team of counter-terrorism investigators who work in a previously off-limits desert kingdom trying to find those responsible for a deadly bombing attack on American workers in the Middle East. Hey Gord: Blocking access to peoples homes???? I would be the last person they would want to mess with. I could think of all kinds of creative ways to fuck with the director and producers!!!!!  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-29-2006 10:39 AM                     Man, what a bad situation! The city limits of Phoenix alone has well over 1 million people. That metro area doesn't have nearly enough superhighways to serve its population. So shutting down any major artery, be it I-10 or I-17 (or even Loop 101 for that matter), will cause big trouble. Maybe they want Phoenix residents to think back to 20 years ago when the Interstate system wasn't even completed in the area (there were gaps in I-10 and that small downtown loop was not done). Considering how sophisticated various 3D modeling/animation and motion graphics compositing programs have become I'm surprised the movie studio isn't simply doing a lot of the work in the computer. It sounds like a good amount of this stuff will be CGI anyway. Several years ago two guys made a bunch of news by making their little "405" movie using off the shelf PCs and Lightwave3D. They found some way to land an American Airlines DC-10 on L.A.'s I-405 freeway without shutting it down. What's the excuse for Universal Studios? Here's an even bigger issue: the production says they will shoot some major car crash scenes on the closed highway. Will the production pay for repairs on the roadway? They're already getting use of the freeway gratis, but these roads cost a huge fortune to build and no small amount of money to maintain. Sure, many of our Interstates are merely paved with asphalt or have concrete roadbeds 8" to 12" thick while the German Autobahn concrete roadbed averages 27" in thickness (and has more gradual turns and grades for higher speed ratings). However, many of our roads wind up getting built after urban sprawl has swallowed up available land and sent land aquisition prices through the roof. A major freeway upgrade project, such as the one for Katy Freeway just west of Houston will amount of billions of dollars. Mere sections of that project cost more than the gross earnings of a major hit movie.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-29-2006 12:11 PM                     The Phoenix East Valley was literally the boon docks...all agriculture. Within the past few years that has all changed. Many of the farms have sold out and residential/commericial has boomed within the past 2 years. A complete change of landscape! Anyhow, the freeway where the major car crash scenes are being filmed is literally brand new, just having opened up within the past 6 months or so.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-29-2006 12:49 PM                     Downtown Petaluma was once the darling of Hollywood for its eternal 'Small Town USA' look and feel. In the 70's and 80s numerous films, TV shows, and commercials were filmed downtown, usually with merchants and the city compensated by the producers for loss of revenue becuause the streets were closed or the shops were closed for use as locations. Some of the films that feature downtown Petaluma prominently: American Graffiti (probably the most famous example) Heroes (1977) P.K. & The Kid Peggy Sue Got Married Explorers Howard The Duck Inventing The Abbotts Lolita (1997) Around the time of the filming of the 'hang glider' scene in Lucasfilm's Howard The Duck, the downtown merchants became irritated with the loss of traffic and the long hours of filming, and successfully pressured the City Council to legislate new rules and regulations for film crews working downtown. To further discourage Hollywood from using downtown for its 'Small Town USA' look, the city allowed a new very modern looking building to be erected at one of the main 'old-timey' corners of town. Inventing The Abbotts and Lolita are the last two major movies filmed downtown since the new regulations were implemented in the early 90's. Most other filming in Petaluma now occurs away from downtown (usually countryside scenes), in private homes (exempt from the regulations if the public streets aren't blocked) or in sound stages built elsewhere in town (as was done for Mumford, where they turned an abandoned supermarket into a sound stage). Most of the city council members that put this draconian legislation in are no longer in office, but the laws are still active. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 07-29-2006 01:25 PM                     Actually bobby, I think the figures are higher, Phx has over 2 million now, possibly 3 million but I think it's closer to 2. So yeah it's quite a pain in the ass. And I read that not only are they closing on the weekends but some weekdays too (not entirely positive). It'd be cool to go down there and check it out but I probably wont even see the film when it comes out I'm sure.  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 07-29-2006 01:26 PM                     They filmed a scene from "Deep Impact" out on the Manassas bypass before it opened to traffic. Some locals were paid to sit in a traffic jam. Today they sit there for free.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-29-2006 03:05 PM                     quote: Mike Heenan I think the figures are higher, Phx has over 2 million now, possibly 3 million but I think it's closer to 2. Technically, the population of Phoenix within its own city limits is 1,321,045 as of the last census estimate. Metro population, which includes the cities of Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Chandler, Gilbert and Peoria and other populated areas close to Phoenix in Maricopa County and northern Pinal county boosts the total well past 2 million. Now if one includes undocumented workers from Mexico and their families and others brought along with them then the city limits population of Phoenix would be a good bit higher. I'm not sure if that would push it over the 2 million mark. Nevertheless, the freeway system there seems designed for a metro area with only 1/4 the population. More superhighways are needed there and the capacity of the existing roads needs to be beefed up quite a bit. It's also pretty strange how Phoenix and Las Vegas, two cities with metro populations well over 1 million people and within 280 miles of each other are not directly connected by an Interstate highway. With all that said, it is pretty strange how any official in Phoenix would allow one of the few freeways in the area to be taken over by a film shoot.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-29-2006 04:06 PM                     quote: Aaron Sisemore Howard The Duck I don't think I would have admitted to that fact . When they were filming Blues Brothers in Chicago they literally shut down downtown Chicago on weekends for this. Now of course its a classic film and everyone is glad they did it. Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-29-2006 04:16 PM                        Howard the Duck? That set Geo. Lucas back 16 years! Louis  |  IP: Logged Jennifer Pan THE JEN! Posts: 1219 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: Nov 2003 posted 07-29-2006 04:53 PM                        Bobby, you sure seem to know a lot about Phoenix... Do you live here or something?  |  IP: Logged

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