Sticky -- St. Louis Movie/Cinema/TV/Production News

stellar · PostDec 19, 2005#262005-12-19T16:45+00:00

I don't want to start an arguement about the population of LA vs NY. My point was that people don't move to LA just because it's on TV. If they started making movies in Missouri, and that would be a long shot since there is such a small base of skilled employees, people wouldn't flock here. LA is a very large city with a lot to offer (plus incredible weather year round.)

Sorry Xing, I can't open your link (I have problems with PDF's lately), but I thought LA had around 9 million and NY had 8. I'm not sure where the 20 vs 15 million number is coming from. I'm just going from memory so I guess I'm wrong. I do remember a bunch of news stories about LA surpassing NYC about 10 years ago. It was a big deal because the land mass was significantly different and LA isn't nearly as urban feeling as NY. Plus New Yorkers didn't want to be #2. Again, just from memory.

trent · PostDec 19, 2005#272005-12-19T19:12+00:00

With St. Louis rich architecture, and Missouris plethora of different kinds of country...this area should be ripe for filmmaking, but there is no help for the studios to even consider coming here. There is no lobbying on our part, no tax breaks, and the Missouri film office is miniscule, while the St. Louis office being non-existant.

Until we get serious about bringing films here, none are going to come. Why would you go to St. Louis and pay all sorts of taxes to work here, when you can film in LA, and say you're in St. Louis?

xing · PostDec 20, 2005#282005-12-20T00:16+00:00

I know people dont move to LA just because it's on TV or in the movies. People know more of LA because of the television of films. They learn of it, and get a feel for the environment, before actually stepping foot into it. Thus, it's being advertised, which is what I said.

Also, the film industry makes good money, and creates many jobs, another reason for the growth. But alas, LA isn't all Entertainment Industry, I know of that too. I have family there, and I have been there a number of times.

Still, hollywood, and the knowledge that industry brings with it, help other industries expand. A graphic design firm will find better employees in Hollywood, because a Movie Editor can easily do such work in any moment he's employed. A camera man can do photography work, or an actress can do modeling. I would have less trouble finding in a job in San Francisco, than I do in St Louis, because of its lack of creative jobs. This is my reason for moving to Chicago. If I wasn't from St Louis, but St Louis had a better film industry, I would move here just because of it.

Anyway, found out some other news. They're shooting a Christmas documentary in St Clair County for a national Television channel. Apparently they were looking for production assistance. Sadly, it means work on Christmas Day, and you had to be 25. It's being shot in Belleville, Freeburg, and O'Fallon IL. If you guys are ever interested in this type of work, Craigslist.org is the best place to look for it.

Expat · PostDec 20, 2005#292005-12-20T00:27+00:00

Xing wrote:I know people dont move to LA just because it's on TV or in the movies. People know more of LA because of the television of films. They learn of it, and get a feel for the environment, before actually stepping foot into it. Thus, it's being advertised, which is what I said.

Xing, this is absolutely true. Los Angeles, New York and a few other big media spots are sending out the message that they are the place to be every single day. Everytime you turn on television, watch a movie, etc., you are getting a message that CA or NY has the good life, is more exciting, is THE place to be. It never stops and has been going on for years. And not likely to stop anytime soon. It pays to be a media center.

comandantecero · PostDec 20, 2005#302005-12-20T00:30+00:00

i know a couple of guys who have tried to stick it out in the St. Louis film scene. It's tough, and they spend a lot of time doing corporate video stuff. Not the most exciting. Then again, I think they're happy they can actually make something of a living doing what they do without having to move to LA or NY or any number of higher profile film industry towns.

edit: i agree with xing and expat, being a media center and having your city repeatedly appear in commercials, movies, tv series helps boost city reptuations and image. (of course, depending on what message they are associated with).

For example, Sex and the City has been cited as having a huge impact on the desirability of "urban living", particularly in New York. In one article i was reading, they quoted Manhattan realtors who said they regularly had clients from abroad telling them they wanted to get an apartment in a neighborhood or area portrayed in the show.

Anywho.

mattmattmatt · PostDec 20, 2005#312005-12-20T01:33+00:00

Xing wrote:Whether or not it's in production, or cancelled, I don't know, but DreamWorks did buy the script. What I hate, however, is that studios have often changed scripts that had settings in St Louis, to other cities. The film with Angelina Jolie, as a News Reporter, was actually written to be St Louis, if you didn't already know.

Storm Brewing at DreamWorks

Studio picks up military pitch from Brian Koppelman and David Levien.

By Claire Runitz

The Storm Returns, a pitch by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, has been picked up by DreamWorks in a deal worth nearly $1 million against nearly $2 million. Koppelman and Levien are to write, direct and produce.

In the wake of renewed interest in military films, Storm is set in St. Louis in the wake of the Gulf War. It follows a group of recently discharged soldiers who have become warriors without a war and enlist in a battle to clear a vicious drug gang out of a housing project.

Koppelman and Levien, represented by Endeavor and attorney Karl Austen, are best known for writing the feature Rounders. Their first directing and producing effort will be seen in Knockaround Guys, a New Line Cinema feature scheduled for a fall release. It stars John Malkovich, Dennis Hopper, Vin Diesel, Barry Pepper, Seth Green and Andrew Davoli.

The duo also recently sold the spec script First Family to Warner Bros.-based Bel-Air Entertainment. In addition, they rewrote Universal Pictures' Heart of a Soldier and New Regency's Runaway Jury.

Claire Runitz is a regular contributor to FilmStew.com, a leading source of film industry news and information, and sister company to Hollywood's Master Storytellers and Project Tracker. To search our extensive archives, please click here.

Wait a second...wasn't this film already made in 2004 with The Rock and Johnny Knoxville??? Walking Tall or something???

xing · PostDec 20, 2005#322005-12-20T01:37+00:00

Oh, so was that it? Let me guess, it didnt take place in St Louis. That movie never appealed to me, most films with the Rock dont.

stellar · PostDec 20, 2005#332005-12-20T03:28+00:00

I was a film major in college. I moved to LA afterwards. I have lots of friends there currently. Some really successful. Wanting more movies shot here is a good thing. But what needs to happen, is more likely to happen, is that the film industry follows the trends rather than sets them. We need to make St. Louis so amazing that they feel they are missing out by not shooting here. We need to generate some creative people from this town who then move to LA and set their movies in their former hometown. It's a very longterm timeline.

Wanting movies to be shot here at this current stage is like wanting the space program to be based in STL. There just isn't the infrastructure. Many many cities have active film commissions that give incentives for the film industry. St. Louis isn't set up to do this. The State if Missouri isn't set up to do this.

I'm all for someone on this list convincing the mayor to open an office and market the city of st. louis as a film destination. Good luck to you. You've got a lot of work ahead of you.

marmar · PostDec 20, 2005#342005-12-20T06:30+00:00

Uh...stellar....the space program BEGAN here. McDonnell-Douglas designed and built ALL the first capsules right here in St. Louis, right up to the first manned moon expeditions. The infrastructure (for space) WAS here. Can't remember, not sure about propulsion units, but you know the part Cape Canaveral-Kennedy-Canaveral (what ARE they calling it this decade?). Not trying to diss you, just set you in the right direction on that fact. (I had to laugh when I read your post on this)

(and, not to get off the subject, I'm STILL trying to figure out what Houston has to do with all this)

However, I would have to take your word on film industry...and what you say about film commissions sounds oh-so typical of our leadership.

stellar · PostDec 20, 2005#352005-12-20T07:33+00:00

Marmar wrote:Uh...stellar....the space program BEGAN here. McDonnell-Douglas designed and built ALL the first capsules right here in St. Louis, right up to the first manned moon expeditions. The infrastructure (for space) WAS here. Can't remember, not sure about propulsion units, but you know the part Cape Canaveral-Kennedy-Canaveral (what ARE they calling it this decade?). Not trying to diss you, just set you in the right direction on that fact. (I had to laugh when I read your post on this)

(and, not to get off the subject, I'm STILL trying to figure out what Houston has to do with all this)

However, I would have to take your word on film industry...and what you say about film commissions sounds oh-so typical of our leadership.

Maybe the Space Program was a bad example.

That's what I get for not being from here. But I've been to Cape Canavaral (space shuttle landings are REALLY cool) and it took decades to build that place and you couldn't move the space program from Florida or Houston to here now because you think it would help the economy. It would have to have a reason to come here. Maybe the fashion industry would have been a better example. I'm just trying to keep things realistic. The groundwork needs to be laid before change can happen and that is the hardwork that politicians don't want to do because the results are rarely seen during their administration.

I heart STL!

bastiat · PostDec 20, 2005#362005-12-20T08:26+00:00

stellar wrote:
Marmar wrote:Uh...stellar....the space program BEGAN here. McDonnell-Douglas designed and built ALL the first capsules right here in St. Louis, right up to the first manned moon expeditions. The infrastructure (for space) WAS here. Can't remember, not sure about propulsion units, but you know the part Cape Canaveral-Kennedy-Canaveral (what ARE they calling it this decade?). Not trying to diss you, just set you in the right direction on that fact. (I had to laugh when I read your post on this)

(and, not to get off the subject, I'm STILL trying to figure out what Houston has to do with all this)

However, I would have to take your word on film industry...and what you say about film commissions sounds oh-so typical of our leadership.
Maybe the Space Program was a bad example. That's what I get for not being from here. But I've been to Cape Canavaral (space shuttle landings are REALLY cool) and it took decades to build that place and you couldn't move the space program from Florida or Houston to here now because you think it would help the economy. It would have to have a reason to come here. Maybe the fashion industry would have been a better example. I'm just trying to keep things realistic. The groundwork needs to be laid before change can happen and that is the hardwork that politicians don't want to do because the results are rarely seen during their administration.

I heart STL!

Umm.. not trying to embarass you again, but wasn't St. Louis only second to New York in fashion in the early 20th century? Washington Avenue/Garment district?

suburban lou · PostDec 20, 2005#372005-12-20T09:11+00:00

There is a movie called The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery that is about a robbery at Southwest Bank. From what I understand may of the scenes where filmed here.

xing · PostDec 20, 2005#382005-12-20T10:32+00:00

Bastiat wrote:
stellar wrote:
Marmar wrote:Uh...stellar....the space program BEGAN here. McDonnell-Douglas designed and built ALL the first capsules right here in St. Louis, right up to the first manned moon expeditions. The infrastructure (for space) WAS here. Can't remember, not sure about propulsion units, but you know the part Cape Canaveral-Kennedy-Canaveral (what ARE they calling it this decade?). Not trying to diss you, just set you in the right direction on that fact. (I had to laugh when I read your post on this)

(and, not to get off the subject, I'm STILL trying to figure out what Houston has to do with all this)

However, I would have to take your word on film industry...and what you say about film commissions sounds oh-so typical of our leadership.
Maybe the Space Program was a bad example. That's what I get for not being from here. But I've been to Cape Canavaral (space shuttle landings are REALLY cool) and it took decades to build that place and you couldn't move the space program from Florida or Houston to here now because you think it would help the economy. It would have to have a reason to come here. Maybe the fashion industry would have been a better example. I'm just trying to keep things realistic. The groundwork needs to be laid before change can happen and that is the hardwork that politicians don't want to do because the results are rarely seen during their administration.

I heart STL!

Umm.. not trying to embarass you again, but wasn't St. Louis only second to New York in fashion in the early 20th century? Washington Avenue/Garment district?

Im sure St Louisans dressed better, compared to others in the US, at that time. Now, it's not exactly like that... not at all.

Expat · PostDec 20, 2005#392005-12-20T13:36+00:00

Bastiat wrote:
stellar wrote:
Marmar wrote:Uh...stellar....the space program BEGAN here. McDonnell-Douglas designed and built ALL the first capsules right here in St. Louis, right up to the first manned moon expeditions. The infrastructure (for space) WAS here. Can't remember, not sure about propulsion units, but you know the part Cape Canaveral-Kennedy-Canaveral (what ARE they calling it this decade?). Not trying to diss you, just set you in the right direction on that fact. (I had to laugh when I read your post on this)

(and, not to get off the subject, I'm STILL trying to figure out what Houston has to do with all this)

However, I would have to take your word on film industry...and what you say about film commissions sounds oh-so typical of our leadership.
Maybe the Space Program was a bad example. That's what I get for not being from here. But I've been to Cape Canavaral (space shuttle landings are REALLY cool) and it took decades to build that place and you couldn't move the space program from Florida or Houston to here now because you think it would help the economy. It would have to have a reason to come here. Maybe the fashion industry would have been a better example. I'm just trying to keep things realistic. The groundwork needs to be laid before change can happen and that is the hardwork that politicians don't want to do because the results are rarely seen during their administration.

I heart STL!

Umm.. not trying to embarass you again, but wasn't St. Louis only second to New York in fashion in the early 20th century? Washington Avenue/Garment district?

Stellar, you are learning St. Louis history the hard way

.

But, your point is taken.

southslider · PostDec 20, 2005#402005-12-20T15:38+00:00

I love that classic Southwest Bank at South Kingshighway-Vandeventer-Southwest. Did this older film actually use local footage?

marmar · PostDec 20, 2005#412005-12-20T16:23+00:00

Stellar, you're right about the space program not ever returning to St. Louis...we lost it for sure when McD/D sold out.

Now, about "The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery...Citylover, can you be more specific? Also, is that about the bank robbery in the Continental Building, or is it another, or just fiction (although I'd be surprised if it were fiction)?

Southslider, I love the Southwest Bank, too. Soooo glad it was rescued!!!

stellar · PostDec 20, 2005#422005-12-20T18:08+00:00

Bastiat wrote:Umm.. not trying to embarass you again, but wasn't St. Louis only second to New York in fashion in the early 20th century? Washington Avenue/Garment district?

I'd love to hear more about that. Were there designers based here or was it a manufacturing district? Every city in America had a garment district at the turn of the century. How significant was St. Louis'? New York, Milan, Paris, St. Louis...

xing · PostDec 20, 2005#432005-12-20T22:20+00:00

Sadly, St. Louis was on the big screen more often in the past.

mcarril · PostDec 20, 2005#442005-12-20T23:02+00:00

Love those pants.

comandantecero · PostDec 20, 2005#452005-12-20T23:35+00:00

St. Louis had a very large garment manufacturing sector (that's why we have so many great loft buildings on Wash Av,they were designed with garmen manu. in mind), one of the biggest in the country. Wouldn't call it a big fashion center though (although with the right kind of brains and spirit it could have become that seeing as it had such a vibrant garment district). Too bad it didn't happen

trent · PostDec 22, 2005#462005-12-22T23:03+00:00

There have been films made here, The Brass Ring was filmed not too long ago. Plus, that soccer movie, the Treatment, and a few others. But its rare that St. Louis gets a major film to set up camp.

But while St. Louis may be becoming more and more desireable, it still remains a problem that there is zero state support, and not enough money in the city budget to even have a film office. Until the State and the City take the time to focus on bringing these projects to St. Louis, it will never happen.

What these leaders fail to realize is the amount of money that would be brough into the area. Millions of dollars pumped into the economy, jobs made available, and FREE advertising. I don't understand the complete lack of effort to lure hollywood projects.

10-intuition · PostDec 23, 2005#472005-12-23T05:57+00:00

Xing wrote:Sadly, St. Louis was on the big screen more often in the past.

too bad these movies were mainly filmed in hollywood on sets there.

xing · PostDec 29, 2005#482005-12-29T03:25+00:00

I don't know if any of you heard about this, but an Alton Illinois film maker, who recently shot a film in Alton called "Steel City," has made it to the top 15 for the Sundance Film Festival, using this film. Some big names and films have come out of this festival.

debaliviere · PostDec 29, 2005#492005-12-29T16:25+00:00

That's really cool!

stlgasm · PostDec 29, 2005#502005-12-29T16:55+00:00

My brother (Jive) and I were actually extras in The Big Brass Ring. We can be seen dancing in the riverboat scene-- Jive is wearing a leather skirt and I'm in a leisure suit. You can't miss us! That may have been the most boring, awful movie ever produced.

White Palace was a great movie, IMO. I think it very accurately portrayed the feel of St. Louis, although they played up Nora's (Susan Sarandon) "hoosierness" a little too much I think. The St. Louis Jewish culture was right on though.

As for the garment district, St. Louis was indeed #2 after New York. The St. Louis garment industry was known to be where the "junior dress" was born (I guess that refers to youth fashions). It was also, of course the largest shoe manufacturing center in the world, hence the moniker, "First in shoes, first in booze, and last in the American League."

On the subject of filmmaking in St. Louis, there are few cities that are as versatile as St. Louis. We have old-world rowhouse neighborhoods, Manhattan-esque downtown streets, cookie-cutter suburbs, and plenty of woods, rivers and farms in the extended area. I believe Pittsburgh has done a great job of marketing itself to the film industry-- it is also a wonderfully photogenic city with plenty of variety.

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