WITH MORE THAN 550 ONE-OF-A-KIND HISTORIC BUILDINGS UNDER ITS JURISDICTION, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS A LOCATION SCOUT’S DREAM
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BY LISA SHAMES
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith
hile fighting city hall, as the adage goes, may hold plenty of challenges, filming in it—or a courthouse, post office or any number of government-owned locations—is a much more positive experience. That is when location scouts work with the GSA Center for Historic Buildings, a division of the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. General Services Administration. A byproduct of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the nationwide program was developed to encourage the use of the government’s
The Jacob K. Javits Federal Building and James L. Watson Court of International Trade in New York, New York
8 DESTINATION FILM GUIDE
historic buildings in film and television productions. Its goal is to showcase and support the legacy of these buildings by creating opportunities for the public to experience them through film. Additionally, all revenue earned is reinvested in the historic inventory. From the Louis Simon-designed 1936 IRS Building in Washington, D.C., and the majestic U.S. Custom House in New Orleans to some 500-plus buildings around the country, finding a unique film location is—more or less— there for the asking. To get the details on the filming process in government buildings, Destination Film Guide spoke with two experts at the GSA Center for Historic Buildings: Film & Special Event Program Manager David Anthone, whose area of coverage includes New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands; and Historic Preservation and Fine Arts Specialist Victoria Clow, who oversees programs in Arizona, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
Talk about the early years of the program
David Anthone: When I began working here 20 years ago, I was seeing the film industry in New York City, which is one of the epicenters for filming,
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith
History in the (Film) Making
asking GSA for locations. Prior to my coming onboard, those were being fielded by the building managers. There wasn’t a formal process in place even though there was filming going on as far back as the 1940s. I began the process of tracking requests and licensing. Once we issue the license, that grants the film studio formal permission to be in our building for that time frame and move through the spaces as agreed. It provides protection on both sides.
How many buildings are part of the program? David: While there are 515 historic buildings in the program, not all are film-friendly. It fluctuates. Sometimes courthouses are considered not
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