Save the Date! Wednesday, October 9th, 7:00 PM

Filming in New York City wasn't always as easy as it is today. In the 1960's, producers often required upwards of 50 permits to shoot their project, and gaining access to some of New York's most popular locations was tricky, at best. Producers were required to obtain a permit for every single day of production. The Department of Commerce and Industrial Development issued permits for filming, but producers were also required to receive approval from the Police Department, Highways Department and Traffic Department. If wires and cables were used, the permission of the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity was needed, and if parks property were being used, additional permits were required. All of this red tape caused many filmmakers to take their production out of New York City.

In 1966, Mayor John Lindsay changed this process and gave the Department of Commerce the authority to issue a single permit for filming in City-owned locations and abolished the power of City officials to censor the content of films shot on public property, as long as they didn't pose a risk to the public or break the law. He appointed an aide to help the film industry negotiate for shooting at privately owned sites and established a police unit to control crowds during filming. He appointed an aide to help the film industry negotiate for shooting at privately owned sites and established a police unit to control crowds during filming.