NJ towns grappling with rules for film crews

MIDDLETOWN, N.J. (AP) - Lights! Camera! Now, show us your permit.

Some New Jersey towns are reacting to the increasing number of reality shows being filmed in the shore area by considering new ordinances. Town officials say they want to minimize the aggravation for residents and avoid footing the bill for traffic control and other expenses.

In Middletown, officials are discussing an ordinance that would require film crews to get permits. Township administrator Tony Mercantante told The Asbury Park Press (https://on.app.com/1nlB8NG) it’s due to an explosion in reality home-improvement shows since Superstorm Sandy.

“We get a lot of requests from home-improvement reality shows,” he said. “We probably get five requests a year. We need a formal process.”

Middletown also happens to be the site for an upcoming reality show featuring Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, a cast member of “Jersey Shore.” The town was used as a location for filming 1962’s “The Miracle Worker,” starring Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in the story of the life of Helen Keller.

Township attorney Brian Nelson said the regulations wouldn’t affect someone filming a home video, but would establish a mechanism for film companies to apply for permits and the town to recover costs.

Last year, Toms River passed regulations to require film companies to obtain permission to film or be fined $100 to $500 per day. The town was approached by a production company in 2012 to set a “Jersey Shore” spinoff there.

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Information from: Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, https://www.app.com