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Each month we will showcase a City agency employee or an industry specialist who helps to facilitate production in New York City.
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Alberteen Anderson: Production's Express Track January 30, 2004 With over 722 track miles and 468 subway stations, the New York City subway system is a goldmine of locations for any feature film, television series, documentary or commercial. Alberteen Anderson, Deputy Director, Community Relations and Special Events for the MTA New York City Transit, is the first and last stop on any production’s journey toward shooting inside the City’s subterranean network. Ms. Anderson handles 50 requests per day for use of the Authority's trains, platforms, MetroCard booths and stairwells which can require coordination with multiple transit offices – and the results of her expertise can be seen on television series such as Sex and the City, Law & Order, Third Watch and the Sopranos. On the film side, she’s pulled off scenes for the recent features Stay, Taxi and Men in Black 2 – but Money Train remains one of her most ambitious projects. Using the skills of every major transit department from the Treasury to the car equipment personnel who custom-built trains at the Coney Island maintenance facility for the film, Money Train shot in 5 separate subway stations, changing the set dressing to create the impression of several different stations. One of the production’s most memorable scenes was shot in the former subway station at the Times Square NYPD Recruiting Station, when Wesley Snipes' character rode down the escalator on a motorcycle in pursuit of a transit cop run amok, played by Woody Harrelson. The Director of Photography was hoisted in the air and remained directly in front of the motorcycle during the entire scene, as it roared into the station. Regardless of the scene's complexity, the request procedure is generally the same. Each production needs to submit a letter of intent with a description of the scene which outlines their needs, and all productions using Transit property are required to take out liability and railroad insurance policies of at least $2 million each. The ideal times for production companies to work in Manhattan is after 7PM, though in most areas of the outer boroughs crews can work all day. The more advance notice, the better. "When you have more lead time you're able to do everything they want and it just runs so much more smoothly," says Anderson. A perfect example is CBS' "Early Show," which had selected a location near a stairwell and token booth in the Times Square station for a live broadcast. Due to their advance notice, Anderson was able to suggest a better location option near the Shuttle on the Times Square side with a Lichtenstein painting in the background. It was the show's first broadcast from a subway station and resulted in its highest ratings ever. The can-do approach of Anderson and her team translates into superior celluloid, repeat production business for the City and a positive reputation for the MTA NYC Transit - both Phard Jeans and Brooklyn Gum recently flew in from Italy to shoot commercials in the subway. The education aspects of her job though, have been particularly rewarding. "I've met a lot of nice, interesting people, and learned a lot. I've had good teachers from the MTA NYC Transit, good teachers in the film industry. You need to learn, and have fun on your job," says Anderson. Congratulations to Alberteen Anderson, our Agency Star of the Month – for keeping production moving around the City!  More Industry Stars | |
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 design by  The City of New York Mayor's Office of Film Theatre & Broadcasting 1697 Broadway Suite 602, New York, New York 10019. |
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