Filmmakers will now have to pay to shoot movies and TV shows in Williston Park.
The Village Board on Monday approved a $500 fee for permits to film in the village issued through the Building Department. The fee could be higher depending on how long filming lasts, the size of the area involved and the cost to the village, Mayor Paul Ehrbar said.
Trustees voted in December to require permits for film operations, prompted by filming for Naomi Watts’ upcoming film “The Book of Henry” in November. But there was previously no fee required to get them, Ehrbar said.
The village has had some smaller-scale filming done in local restaurants since then, Ehrbar said.
Williston Park’s $500 minimum fee is lower than some other North Shore municipalities that have proven popular backdrops for movies and TV shows.
The Village of Sands Point, the site of filming for TV shows such as AMC’s “Billions” and CBS’ “Madame Secretary,” charges $1,500 for the first day and $1,000 per day after that. The village has issued 22 filming permits so far this year, village Clerk Liz Gaynor said.
There is no minimum fee in Floral Park, where CBS’ “The Good Wife” filmed last year, but the village can charge up to $5,000 plus any incidental costs for village personnel.
The Town of North Hempstead charges $500 per day and has issued 23 permits so far this year for a total of $33,850, a town spokeswoman, Carole Trottere, wrote in an email. Notable productions in the town include Showtime’s TV show “The Affair.”
