Movie, "Language Arts" Being Filmed In Neighborhood For Several Weeks

film production and equipment vehicles 

on 48th Avenue NE

"Language Arts," a movie based on a book of the same name written by a Seattleite, who reportedly lives in Laurelhurst resident, has been filming in the neighborhood the last week. The screenplay is written and directed by Cornelia Duryée’s with Seattle based Kairos Productions.


Currently the 50+ production crew and cast, including reportedly Barbara Reed, who plays a nun, has been filming in St. Stephens Church, as well as several neighborhood residences. The production manager put out a request recently for auditions for a house to film in built before 1962 with a kitchen that matches the same time period.

Three medium size trailers, one for hair and make-up, another for wardrobe, and the third with restrooms and 2 additional cast dressing rooms, and a very long trailer housing 8 cast dressing rooms have been parked on the west side of 48th Avenue NE just below the park. Several trucks housing production equipment are parked on NE 45th Street in front of the church.

Stephanie Kallos' writes on her website about her book:

Charles Marlow teaches his high school students that language will expand their worlds. But linguistic skill cannot help him connect with his autistic son, his ex-wife, or his college-bound daughter. He’s at the end of a road he’s traveled for years when a series of unexpected events force him to reflect on the lifetime of decisions and indecisions that have brought him to this point. With the help of an ambitious art student, an Italian-speaking nun, and the memory of a boy in a white suit whose friendship both saved and condemned him, Charles may finally be able to rewrite the script of his life.

Filming will move to Laurelhurst Elementary School from July 28th to August 7th and August 21, weekdays 7am-9pm. All the production and equipment vehicles will park on 46th and 47th Avenues NE.


An informational sheet was left at residences living on those streets which said (in part):

"No parking" barricades will be erected at least 72 hours in advance of each restricted parking time, with no parking dates and times clearly indicated. 

Most of our filming activity will be inside the school. However, we will be filming exterior on a couple of the dates. We will also be staging our equipment and some lights outside, and will film several exterior and sidewalk scenes with intermittent pedestrian and traffic control (while the camera is rolling). We have a noise variance for when we may need to have a crew arrive a little before 7am. 

We have on-site staff to assist with any access mitigation you may need, in advance of, and during the filming. Contact the Production Office phone at 206-219-9121. 

We are working with the Seattle Office of Film and Music (206-233-3948)to obtain permits and all the assistance needed to make our go fast and smoothly.

Movie Filmed In Laurelhurst Coming Out In Theaters Today

A reader sent us email wanted to share with the neighborhood that the movie that was filmed last May on the 3900 block of 47^th Avenue NE block is coming out in theatres today.

The movie, “Safety Not Guaranteed” already received acclaimed reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in January and great applause at the Seattle International Film Festival last month. 

It is a low budget comedy film about two magazine employees who interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel and starrs Aubrey Plaza from the TV show, "Parks and Recreation, " Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson and Kristin Bell who starred in "Couples Retreat."

The production, filmed entirely in Washington State,  prominently features the Laurelhurst house and street scenes, along with other Seattle and Washington State locations. 

Dave Drummond, Location Manager, circulated a letter last spring to affected neighbors saying "We sincererely appreciate the opportunity to film in Laurelhurst ." 

Interesting Movie Showing Tonight At Acupuncture School On Talaris Campus

WuHsing Tao School of Acupunture (4000 NE 41st Street., Building. D), on the Talaris Campus, is hosting a monthly movie night starting tonight at 7:15pm with the showing of the award winning film "I Am." 

Iman, with the school, told us that the monthly movie evenings are "dedicated to the five elements, the seasons, and those who inspire us "and the movies are chosen "based on the Season, Element, Emotion, Persona, or other Metaphoric Investigations. "

"I Am" won the Audience Choice Award and the Student Choice Award at the Mountain Film Festival in Telluride Colorado, where it premiered in May and has also received rave reviews.

The movie premiered in Seattle in February of last year at the Landmark Theatre.
                     
Everyone is invited to the movie evening and there is a suggested donation of $3-5.  There will be snacks and popcorn offered  and all donations received will go towards a student scholarship fund that goes directly to WuHsing Tao Students.

Here is information about "I Am":

Tom Shadyac, the filmmaker, is one of Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners and the creative force behind such blockbusters as “Ace Ventura,” “Liar Liar,” “The Nutty Professor,” and “Bruce Almighty.”  

In I AM,  a documentary, Shadyac asks some of today’s most profound thinkers, two questions – What’s wrong with our world, and what can we do about it?

Shadyac steps in front of the camera to recount what happened to him after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged with a new sense of purpose, determined to share his own awakening to his prior life of excess and greed, and to investigate how he as an individual, and we as a race, could improve the way we live and walk in the world.

Armed with nothing but his innate curiosity and a small crew to film his adventures, Shadyac set out on a twenty-first century quest for enlightenment.  Meeting with a variety of thinkers and doers–remarkable men and women from the worlds of science, philosophy, academia, and faith–including such luminaries as David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lynne McTaggart, Ray Anderson, John Francis, Coleman Barks, and Marc Ian Barasch –  Shadyac appears on-screen as character, commentator, guide, and even, at times, guinea pig.

An irrepressible “Everyman” who asks tough questions, but offers no easy answers, he takes the audience to places it has never been before, and presents even familiar phenomena in completely new and different ways. 

I AM is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better?

The result is a fresh, energetic, and life-affirming film that challenges our preconceptions about human behavior while simultaneously celebrating the indomitable human spirit.

(photo courtesy of "I Am" website)

Outdoor Movies At Magnuson Park Start Tomorrow Through August

Outdoor movies at Magnuson Park (7400 Sand Point Way) start tomorrow and run weekly on Thursday evenings through August.

The cost per person is $5 and the event starts at 7pm with trivia, games including a "cornhole challenge," photobooth, and prizes. Then the movie starts around 8:30pm. Popcorn, soda and other food items will be available for purchase.

The information says:

We’ll turn Seattle’s Magnuson Park into a giant outdoor movie theater.  Grab your family, friends, blankets, dogs and lawn chairs and join us for trivia contests, games, prizes and big screen movies under the stars!

The Outdoor Movies at Magnuson Park take place in a big grass field with lots of room for blankets chairs and comfortable viewing. The setting is perfect for an outdoor movie and has the luxury of space that many of other Seattle outdoor movie events don’t have.

2011 is the first season of the PEMCO Insurance Outdoor Movies at Magnuson Park.  Movies are projected onto a 40′ inflatable movie screen (bigger than most indoor theaters) that turns Magnuson Park into a spectacular outdoor cinema.   The Outdoor Movies at Magnuson Park continue a long tradition of outdoor cinema events in the Pacific Northwest including locations in Seattle, Sammamish, Bellevue, Kirkland and surrounding areas.

To get there, take the NE 65th Street entrance to the park, then take the second left and drive past the outdoor movie set-up to the parking lot on the right.

For more information go here or check out the Facebook page.

Here is the schedule:
July 14: The Princess Bride

July 21: School of Rock

July 28: How to Train Your Dragon

August 4: Top Gun

August 11: Ghostbusters

August  18:  Beauty and the Beast

August 25: Pirates of the Caribbean

Movie Crew Filming In Laurelhurst Yesterday

Several readers sent us email asking about a film crew that was in the 3900 block of 47th Avenue NE all day yesterday.

We learned that filming was for the movie “Safety Not Guaranteed" starring Aubrey Plaza from the TV show on Thursday nights called "Parks and Recreation, " Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson and Kristin Bell who starred in "Couples Retreat."

A reader reported that the filming was going on mostly inside a house on the block. In the evening the crew did a little filming outside and the street was blocked off shortly.  And the reader added that there were lots of parents and kids watching.

Dave Drummond, Location Manager, circulated  a letter with specific information, to all nearby neighbors titled "We're Going to be filming in your neighborhood!"

The letter provided an overview of yesterday's activities which ran from 8am to about 9pm last night and the intent to work with neighbors and others affected by the filming to resolve any issues. 

Some street parking was reserved for production vehicles and equipment, resulting in restricted parking for nearby neighbors. Dave said in the letter "We understand this is an inconvenience and sincerely appreciation your cooperation."

Dave concluded the letter saying "We sincererely appreciate the opportunity to film in Laurelhurst and it is my hope to meet many of you personally."

Last week the crew was seeking unpaid extras willing to participate in a football game scene being shot tomorrow at Memorial Field in Burien.

The movie will be filming in and around Seattle until June 1st and is scheduled to be released some time next year.

It is a low budget comedy film about two magazine employees who interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel.