You may have already seen the new AMP commercial on television. AMP is the Pepsi energy drink and mixed martial arts champion and Sacramento native Urijah Faber is the spokesperson. Before cameras, crew and talent ever show up, a lot of preparation takes place. Here is a snapshot on how this shoot came to life.
The Sacramento Film Commission is a division of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau and responsible for marketing the City and County of Sacramento as a film location. In addition, we assist location scouts with finding suitable filming locations; serve as the liaison between public services, such as fire and police departments; and maintain a directory of film crew workers.
Location manager Gail S. called our office looking for a residential neighborhood with smaller homes. After checking out several areas she ended up around 20th and T streets where she found the “hero house” as it’s called in the biz. Here she completed a location agreement with the home owner for a certain dollar amount. (No, I don’t know how much.) The scene called for three martial arts guys walking down the street to this home.
Another scene was to be filmed in the alley behind Urijah’s fitness club, Ultimate Fitness, in Midtown.
Filming in Sacramento is easy. Just go to the permit application found on the Sacramento Film Commission web site.
The completed permit is then forwarded to Sacramento Police Department, Fire Department, Special Events and Parking. Neighbor notification is required 72 hours in advance of any film shoot and “No Parking” signs must be posted 72 hours in advance.
All seemed to be in order. Sac PD, Fire, Special Events had signed off on the permit. “No Parking “signs had been posted on T Street, neighbors had been notified, the insurance certificate was on file...EXCEPT one not-so-minor detail.
The production schedule had changed last minute (as it often does) and street cleaning was scheduled for the morning of the shoot near Urijah’s club where production trucks needed to park. What to do at 3pm the day before the shoot?
Film Commission staff called the Sacramento Public Works supervisor and street cleaning was suspended for that one block (the street wasn’t very dirty anyway.) A shout out to Public Works!
Filming went off without a hitch.
