The Sloan house.
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | With Georgia being discovered these days for filming movies and television series, who knows? A location scout could knock on your door! Your home could be in demand for filming. Recently a crew from the Oprah Television series, Greenleaf, was filming in Norcross, right next door to our home.
The filming was at the home of Bonnie and Ben Sloan, with the home picked because of its modern appearance. Ben said: “It looked like a modern contemporary home that fit the screen character of one of the young single guys in the series.”
The crews filmed on three occasions over nine days at the Sloan home. When filming, one side of the entire street was blocked off with red safety cones to allow for all the equipment vehicles. The company doing the filming, Preach Productions of Buford, compensated some of the area homeowners for their “inconvenience.”
Sloan says of their compensation: “The rates are negotiable, though they have a standard starting fee. The crews set up on the first day, film on the second, and take down on the third day. They pay a higher rate on the day of filming.” The company also gave the Sloans an allowance for temporary housing. The Sloans, including a son and two daughters, chose to stay at a nearby Hyatt Place: “It was convenient and easy to get the kids to school. But staying in three rooms, we felt cooped up. And it disrupts where the children study and sleep. It’s a small inconvenience, but overall a neat experience.”
Through it all, the Sloans never watched the filming. “We had a lot going on with school activities.” However, Bonnie and Ben met some of the key actors.
The crews rearranged furniture in the house for shoots, moving some items to the TV room or garage. “They even hung their own pictures on the wall, and had their own carpet,” Sloan allowed.
However, there was some distraction. “At some times, there would be as many as 90 people, plus equipment, in the house. The first shoot did not go well, with items damaged. We re-negotiated the rate for the other two shoots. But they took care of what they said they would do.”
There was one larger problem. The Sloans have a special paint on their bedroom walls, and the crew damaged the area. “It took four days to replace it, but they got it back the exact way it was.”
For the second shooting, the Sloans were not even in town, but in Florida on spring break. “We gave them a key, for we trusted them.” The film company kept an around-the-clock security detail on the premises.
Advice for others? Ben Sloan suggests: “Definitely make sure you are dealing with a reputable company. It wasn’t the first time we had been approached. We talked to people down the street whose house was a film location. Also read the contract carefully, and negotiated a price you are comfortable with. Then make sure any repair is done well. Remember, the film company wants to make you happy, for they might be approaching other families in the area.”
So, would they do it again? “Yes, but we are moving to Florida soon. Maybe the new house owner might be approached if Greenleaf wants to shoot here again.”
The filming at the Sloan house will appear in episodes 13-14 (of 20) in the upcoming season.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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