Working in Video Production in NYC is very unique compared to the rest of the country. There are very few parking lots (practically none), loading is always a fight, it can be 5 degrees in January and 120 degrees in the subway in the summer, and there’s the traffic…..! Let’s skip the question of why offering Sony FX9 Rentals in NYC or Video Production in New York City when it would be easier to offer Video Production to Princeton, NJ. Explaining the crazy is another topic, for the purpose of this post I’m going to explain “the how”.
1) Parking. Videography in NYC requires transporation of equipment! Some videographers are able to travel light with a gimbal, small sticks, and a mirrorless body or two which allows them to zip around with ubers or the subway. When you get into camera jibs, full light kits, larger cine zooms, and heavy duty tripods the subway isn’t an option. Loading in the NYC can be chaos so it’s helpful to have someone with you or have a someone from production greet you street side. For the most part, parking enforcement and police don’t really give you a hard time if you’re briefly street loading in no parking, no standing areas, or double parked. The key thing here is to always look like you are actively working and never leave the vehicle unattended. The second your vehicle is unattended is when parking enforcement sees “a parked car”, even if you just ran inside to push a cart of gear in the door. Once you’re loaded in or someone is firewatching gear, time to get the vehicle in a parking garage. It’s expensive, but it’s how it’s done here.
2. Extreme Weather. You wouldn’t think NYC has extreme weather but there’s some hot and cold days. In the winter it’s common to see some 10 degree evenings with an intense breeze. The wind is what sucks away all your energy! I use a heated vest on the outdoor jobs and pack a lot of batteries. This has been a game charger! One of the hottest outdoor jobs I’ve ever done was Jib Op’ing Formula-E in the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. If you want to experience being hot, stand outside in the sun with no shade on a 100 degree day on black pavement for hours. How do I survive? Constant sunscreen applications, lots of water, wearing white, and an umbrella mounted on the back of the jib.
3. Traffic. Information is a powerful tool these days. A lot of road closures are posted in advance, traffic reports are broadcasted around the clock, and you just need to be aware of traffic trends and bottle necks. Knowing which lanes move faster, where to be, and that traffic cams run 24/7 is your way to save a lot of time.