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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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Joseph L. Ellis III Joseph L. Ellis III, Traffic Wrangler There are many behind-the-scenes players on any film or tv project, but Joseph L. Ellis III is a pro whose critical presence is felt by production crews, motorists and pedestrians alike. As the Traffic Manager for the Traffic Intelligence Unit (TIU) of the NYPD, Mr. Ellis deploys traffic agents for special film, television and commercial scenes that work on location, and solves gridlock problems before they start. "I like the challenge of working with production companies, because they come up with outrageous, creative requests," he says. Whether Changing Lanes is shooting on the FDR or Spiderman is spinning his web in Times Square, he keeps the tangles out of traffic - and New York City in the big picture. "We’ll handle scenes as whimsical as sheep running down the street in the Times Square area for a David Letterman stunt, to shots on the Brooklyn Bridge for films like Stay," says Ellis. In addition to managing traffic for film and television shoots, he supervises other TIU activities which include patrolling highways to monitor authorized tow companies, enforcing motor carrier trucks or construction compliance, and providing agents for emergency response, among other things. A veteran of the department since January 1985, Ellis saves time for production companies by streamlining his services, and his procedure is simple. After the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting (MOFTB) vets the company request, a meeting is arranged between the production, TIU, MOFTB and the NYPD Movie/TV Unit to assess the film/television project needs and collect information about the time, location and other specifications of the shoot. Based on this meeting, Ellis determines necessary resources and once all parties agree to the plan– the production company provides him with a formal letter of intent which reiterates the scene requirements and provisions for traffic agents that were discussed. If necessary, he will arrange a tech scout to visit the site, make further suggestions and execute a plan involving the least disruption to vehicular and pedestrian traffic – and he always reviews the camera angle to ensure that traffic agents are placed outside the sight lines. The majority of shoots are small and requests can be handled over the phone with a 48-hour turnaround. Letterman’s sheep stunt fell into this category. "Animals and cars don’t mix," said Mr. Ellis, "so my job was to create separate spaces for people, cars and animals." Larger productions, such as the feature film Stay on the Brooklyn Bridge, involve several months of planning. Tech scouts are essential under such circumstances, and an "adequate information system" with variable message signs for motorists and media notification are usually implemented. Ellis will liaise with the City and State Departments of Transportation in these cases. Following up to make subtle adjustments as needed, is standard procedure for all productions. Ellis' unit also handles a service for production companies that minimizes the impact of production parking in neighborhoods, and saves money for the company. The "VTU" Program, which services not only film productions but all major events throughout New York City, is an asset to all City residents. Prior to the inception of this service, productions were forced to hold parking spaces for long periods and allocate extra manpower for this purpose. While balancing the interests of production companies and the needs of residents and motorists keeps him on his toes, at the end of the day he enjoys the satisfaction of seeing it all work, and providing a service for the City. And, he adds, he always gets to see a private rehearsal before the final take. Many thanks to our Agency Star of the Month Joseph L. Ellis III, for keeping parking issues to a minimum, traffic flowing - and the City on center stage.  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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