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Township officials want to regulate the filming of an extreme home-makeover reality TV show to prevent extreme situation for residents. Officials claimed that they are not favoring the filming of “The Sorrentinos,” a reality show featuring Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino of “Jersey Shore” fame, together with family members’ mom Linda, sister Melissa, and brothers Frank and Marc.
Township attorney, Brian Nelson said that they do this for the home-improvement shows. Officials believe that obtaining film permits will help regulate the explosion of reality TV home-rebuilding shows since superstorm Sandy.
Tony Mercantane, township administrator said: “We get a lot of requests from home-improvement reality shows,” he said. “We probably get five requests a year. We need a formal process.”
Officials said they don’t want taxpayers to have some problem with traffic control or other costs associated with the productions. They also believe that having a place where in larger production will be handy. Adding that, they want to be prepared with anything and don’t want a situation that they can’t handle.
Ever since, the MTV’s “Jersey Shore” show filmed in Seaside Heights, the regulations of such shows become a big problem for towns.
Last July, Toms River officials approved regulations that would fine from $100 to $500 to anyone from taping a show without permission. Those regulations and an amendment were encouraged after officials were approached in 2012 by 495 Productions of Burbank, Calif. The production company had appealed to set its “Jersey Shore” spinoff “Snooki & JWoww” in Toms River.
Instead, 495 Productions went to Pelican Island in Berkeley, and there the neighborshood got pissed out and seek to stop 495 Productions from shooting “Snooki & JWoww” in a house there. Berkeley officials then informed the owner of the property where taping was happening that they were violating township code.
The townships’ proposed regulations are comes with the town ordinance in mind. The regulations don’t include personal filming of home video or by students, but only affects film companies as a way for recovering cost for the township.
Prospective movie moguls required to submit their hours of operation and whether traffic control is going to be needed, and the other possible impacts in the community.
The biggest production that was filmed in Middletown was the 1962 movie “The Miracle Worker,” which was filmed in Poricy Park, Mercantante said. The movie is about a girl teaching the blind and deaf girl how to commune with other people.
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