Local talent to be sought for as many as 50 parts
The Electric City got a jolt of excitement with the news that Hollywood stars will visit for a film shoot slated for this year.
Don Rittner, head of the Schenectady Film Commission, confirmed crews will shoot in Schenectady this year for the movie The Place Beyond the Pines. The film stars Ryan Gosling, who recently starred in `Blue Valentine,` with Derek Cianfrance and Ben Coccio writing the film and Cianfrance directing. Bradley Cooper has also been offered a supporting role, according to some media reports, which also indicated shooting will begin this summer. Rittner would only confirm it would be shot this year.
`It is going to happen, and it will happen this year,` he said. `I have been talking with the producer over the last several months about having it shot here. The Schenectady Film Commission has a very good success rate of finding locations for free.`
A lot of independent movie makers are seeking new shooting locations because more common areas can be costly to film in, said Rittner, which leads them to look for smaller communities that are more welcoming. He said the film shoot would benefit the community economically.
`It is obviously an economic boost because you have got to have a crew of 100 people living in Schenectady for several weeks,` said Rittner. `They usually come into an area and spend a lot of money and go home. It is a nice economic engine. We won’t have to build support services for them.`
An added perk to residents could be the chance to appear as an extra, according to Rittner. There is even a chance for a local teenager to snag a starring role.
`There will be local auditions and there will be as many as 50 parts for locals,` said Rittner. `There is a good chance we are going to launch the career of a 16-year-old.`
He said the film company is looking for a 16- to 17-year-old male who is Hispanic, or looks Hispanic, for a role in the film. He said previous acting experience isn’t required. More information on this opportunity will be posted to the Schenectady Film Commission’s Facebook page once it becomes available.
Schenectady isn’t new to film crews seeking it out as a location, said Rittner. Nine productions have been filmed in the area over the past year. Recently the city was used for street scenes for a Discovery Channel show called `Dangerous Women.`
Though Rittner said he couldn’t release too much information about the film, he said he is excited about it.
`Once they let me talk, there are really some good stories here,` he said.
`The Place Beyond the Pines,` as reported by Variety on Thursday, May 5, is about a professional motorcycle rider, played by Gosling, who starts to rob banks to support his newborn son, but he runs into a rookie police officer, which Cooper is tapped for, and the confrontation leads to a generational feud.“
