Car commercial brings $500,000 to Town Green

A camera crew from a self described automotive research company
has been given permission to film a series of car commercials in
Windsor that could bring up to $500,000 into the local
community.
According to the film permit application filed by Santa Monica
based Non-fiction Research, the estimated total cost for the “Take
Over The Town Project” is $500,000 for a ten day shoot involving a
50 person crew and cast of approximately 20 actors.
The company will be filming on three sections of the Green plus
the parking lot behind Building G downtown. The permit allows for
the reservation of 46 parking spaces around the Green and up to 28
parking spaces in the Windsor Road lot behind Building G at a cost
of $5 per spot. During the majority of the project, cars will be
placed on the section of the Green currently occupied by picnic
tables, public vehicles will be prohibited from blocking access to
the archway on Windsor Road and crews will be filming cars from
additional locations.
Representatives have been in town for several weeks scouting
locations and will be occupying a pair of store fronts on
McClelland Road. The company recently secured a temporary lease
from the Town Council to park up to 25 production vehicles on a
Windsor Road parcel that will eventually become Fire Station
#2.
Crews have already begun interviewing Windsor residents and
business owners as part of the project although no details
regarding the contents of the commercials have been publicly
released at this time.
Non-fiction employees handling operations at the Windsor
location were unable to comment on the project and calls to
Non-fiction representatives were not returned by press time.
At the conclusion of the shoot, the company will close down
Duvander Lane for a carnival type celebration that will include
“tents, kiosk, banners, special display, balloons, food tables and
giveaway table.” The permit also provides for the construction of
acrane camera to film the event.
While the cost to secure a film permit are relatively low, only
$440, Assistant Town Manager Christa Johnson said additional fees
are attached to the permit to cover staff time and secure against
any potential damagers. “We want to cover our costs and be fair,
but so much of the benefit to the town is the revenue the company
gives to the businesses,” she said.
Kathy Culley owner of KC’s Downtown Grill said cast and crew are
making a measurable impact on the local economy. “They are
definitely using all of us local resources, particularly the food
and beverage part of it,” she said.
Johnson said the Town had issued occasional film permits for
small projects but nothing resembling the current project. “This is
the first one of this magnitude. Ten full days of filming is a
lot,” she said.
Johnson said the current crew had been easy to work with and
that Town staff would be willing to explore additional film
projects in the future “We’re always looking at ways to try to
increase business,” she said.
Hal Beck, executive director of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce
said the project had been an good example of a profitable
partnership. “I’m quite pleased by the way this film crew and town
have worked together on this thing,” he said.
According to Beck, if the experience proves positive for
everyone involved, Windsor could see other film crews come to
town.
“If you get a reputation as a nice town to film in, an
interesting place, you can get used a lot,” he said. “We have what
I would call a competitive edge. We’re a lot less expensive than
Healdsburg, it’s a lot easier to get out into the country than
Santa Rosa. That’s to our advantage, if we treat these people
right, the word will get around.”
In addition to the obvious economic benefit, Beck said the Town
will get long term use from the footage. The Town has secured the
right to use film and photographs from the shoot in promotional
efforts after the conclusion of the project. “That’s a real nice
benefit,” he said. “That will be big down the road as we can
actually go out to solicit for the Town with stock footage we can
show.