Chesapeake Home

The moment a motion picture company considers filming in a particular state, the local film commission is contacted. With over 250 different locations filtered throughout the country, each agency provides three main functions in supporting filming within that state. Jack Gerbes of the Maryland Film Commission says the biggest function is to market the state. By advertising in trade papers and attending various film festivals, they can maintain first-hand contact with those in the industry. They also provide a database of specific locations in the state and serve as a resource forum for production companies on each project.

Though it is the Film Commission that gets the movies to come to the state, it is the location manager who utilizes their services once the project gets started. In conjunction with the production designer who runs the art department that will create the set, the location manager scouts to find the locations desired by the director for the filming of the scenes. It was on one of these trips that Kathy Ash, a location manager based in Maryland, and production manager, Vince Peranio, stumbled upon the perfect home for Barry Levinson’s newest movie, “Liberty Heights.” They knew the Pikesville, Maryland home of Barbara and Arnold Sindler was exactly what Levinson was looking for—an upscale 1950s style home. Though a small fee may be paid out for the use of someone’s home, Ash has found that most owners are just excited to be a part of something different, and proud to be selected for a project.

After several walk-throughs, snap shots, contract negotiations and months of preparation, the Sindler s’ home had to be transformed into an exact replica of a 1954 home, which meant a complete makeover. Several days before filming, the crew arrived at their home, removed all of their furniture (except for the bedrooms and the kitchen), and began to dress the set. Props, furniture and paint were added to create the look Levinson envisioned for his movie. The actual filming only lasted one day, and the Sindlers were able to stay and take in all of the excitement firsthand

“It was really an adventure,” says Barbara Sindler, and even after hours of filming, wall to wall people in their home and having their entire house refurbished, she says, “I would do it again.”

When the filming was complete and the film crew had packed up the last of their equipment, the Sindlers’ home appeared exactly as it was before they arrived. From this experience and with regard to the manner in which he and his family were treated, Arnold Sindler says, “Barry Levinson is a first class guy.”

The guarantee that location managers give to each homeowner they work with on a project is that no matter how big or small, their home will be treated with care and respect, and will be no less than perfect when the film crew leaves. They want people to enjoy the experience with as little hassle as possible, and to welcome and support any future projects within their state. “As the location manager on a project, it is my responsibility to make sure the homeowner is happy,” says Baltimore-based manager, Debbie Donaldson.

In cases where a lot of work is needed for set designing, the location manager may even make arrangements for temporary housing for the family such as an apartment or a hotel. It is possible that on any given project, the art department will have to paint walls, refinish wooden floors, wall paper, recarpet rooms, remove existing furniture, add furniture and props, as well as making any additional changes that may be needed for the set.

Peranio has worked on numerous feature movies and spent seven seasons on Levinson’s critically acclaimed NBC drama, “Homicide.” He admits it can look “pretty chaotic” on a set, but it is all very organized, and in his experience, filming in homes has been very positive. “Most people are very excited about it,” Peranio concludes.

Sometimes the homeowners are so delighted with the changes made to their home that they don’t want the art department to change it back. The time spent readying a set can vary from project to project. Some can take days, weeks or months to setup, film and pack-up, while others take only a few hours to complete. During the course of “Homicide,” Peranio worked on many homes in the area used for the series. Out of almost 5,000 homes scouted for the show, only about 2,000 were actually used, including Anne Gummerson’s Fells Point row home. Gummerson is a professional photographer and lives just steps away from the main set where the show resided during its seven-year run. It was by word of mouth that Gummerson’s house was used in the show, “The Truth Will Out,” as the set for Detective Ballard’s (played by Callie Thorne) kitchen. As a long time resident of the community, Gummerson had an opportunity to meet some of the cast and crew. “I would sometimes forget that they worked on the show, they were familiar faces, like neighbors,” she says.

When the film crew arrived at the door of her two-story row home in Fells Point, they piled into her modestly large kitchen and prepared to shoot one two-minute scene. Though it was a very short scene, it took about 30 people, a lot of equipment and three hours to wrap it up. They used sound proofing material to block out ambient noises, set-up the appropriate lighting for the shots, and added only one prop to the set — a bottle of wine. “It was great, and they were all very efficient and nice,” she adds.

The episode aired a few months later and in addition to seeing her own house on television, Gummerson had a great story to share with her friends.

Aside from their “15 minutes of fame,” people are realizing the importance of supporting the film industry. The contribution to the state“s economy leads to more press, which generates more exposure, which then leads to more work for people and in turn, creates more revenue for the state. By connecting the dots, people are building a greater understanding of the importance of keeping motion picture companies coming back to their state.

However, when the credits roll, as unrecognizable as it may be to others, it is your name that appears and your house that has set the stage for what could be a box office smash. Anything’s possible. So, whether gallons of paint washed the once ivory walls of your living room, or just a simple bottle of wine found itself perched upon your kitchen table for others to enjoy, you can relish the notion that for a short period of time, you had the opportunity to witness the glitz and glamour of Hollywood from the best seat in the house, yours.