Living in New Orleans, you get used to the traditional sounds of the city—the streetcar, the brass bands playing in parades that seemingly pop up at random times on random streets for random reasons, the regular summer-afternoon thunderstorms, the riverboat horns. But there are also some less-traditional sounds that have become a big part of my little world in my back corner office at 324 Camp St.
Photos by Thom Henkel, Art Director
For the past few years, shouts of “Action!,” “Rolling!,” “Cut!” and the sound of sets being banged together have become a part of my regular office routine. You never know when it might happen, so let’s just say that my use of the speakerphone for client conference calls has been cut way back.
On the other side of my office’s back wall is an alley. I can’t really see it, because I have those bubble glass windows often found in bathrooms that only let in light and shadow, but it’s there. You’d think an alley with no street traffic and relatively little foot traffic would be quiet, but my alley is not.
According to filmneworleans.org, 69 films and television shows spent time filming in New Orleans during 2010 and 2011. Halfway through 2012, we’re already at 24, and more are planned. In 2002 and 2003, just six such projects were filmed in town, so you can see that we’re talking about exponential growth. Sure, it’s a result of the state’s unique tax incentive package—created in 2002—but it also speaks to the atmosphere of the city, to those nooks and crannies that can be transformed into any number of virtual locations through the magic of filmmaking.
Evidently, our little alley is pretty atmospheric and versatile in its own right. While I can’t say exactly how many productions have been filmed back there, judging by the activity I hear, “a lot” seems like a pretty fair estimate. To give you a few examples, I’ve had the privilege of overhearing filming for feature films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, The Courier, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 as well as episodes of TV shows like Treme and Memphis Beat. Pretty cool.
Of course, I’m respectful. I don’t poke my head out of the window, or open the secret back door to the office during filming to catch a glimpse of a star or featured actor. I’d like to say it’s because I’m jaded and celebrity doesn’t fascinate me, but it’s really because I’m involved in making commercials and I know just how disruptive that would be. But sometimes I’ll sneak a peek at the alley during a lull in the action. I might see some extras, some crew members, or a “snow”-covered street scene that makes me almost forget that it’s 90 degrees outside. Then I’ll go back inside and get to work, with one ear tilted toward the back of my office to pick up the sounds from the other side of the wall.