Downtown Oshkosh filming begins
Yeah, we’re gawkers (not to be confused with gaffers)! But I swear I only did it for you!
So, here is our favorite camera store, The Camera Casino. Their storefront is not being changed but if you just walk out their door, over half of their block and beyond definitely looks different.
All of the businesses are remaining open during these preparations and filming (April 10-20). You just cannot be on the roads in front of the businesses while filming is going on. Oh, did I not tell you why there were changes being made? My bad! Have you heard of John Dillinger? How about Johnny Depp? Well the filming of Public Enemies (bank robbers John Dillinger, Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd and Lester "Baby Face Nelson" Gillis) has started.
There’s just a little bit of chaos downtown. For instance, you see that “Lucky’s Men Clothing” sign? You might not be able to read that white paper sign beneath it, but it’s “Streets of Fire” - a skateboard store. You can only find the real names of stores on those white papers. Now let’s move down to the corner (see that blue lift by the streetlights?)
The New Moon is a coffee shop but for the movie it’s Skalsa Restaurant. Where according to a rumor I heard, via Sassy Mama Bear (who lives there and may be brave enough to spy on Depp for us), there will be a shoot out. It does appear that the crux of the action will be happening on this corner. See that wall across the street from the Restaurant? It’s fake. Well, it’d hurt you if you ran into it but normally that corner is a kind of park with a fountain.
A couple of days later the wall has old ads.
You can see the fountain hidden behind the wall of ads and diagonally across the street is the bank. The First National Bank, built it 1926, although the words have all been taken off or covered up.
See, to the far right is that fake wall, and far left Restaurant, with the bank on that other corner. We ran back over today and it appeared that filming was happening inside the bank today (I’ll be posting today’s photos this week). If you look above those 3 arches of doors and windows you can see the long board covering up the name of the bank. If you look really close on either side of the door you can see two lighter spots. Those are the places the metal words were taken off. And in rolls on the ground and even in the intersection are the “cobblestone” tiles.
So, we’re only missing one of the corners. It is a huge CD store, although you can’t tell it now. Our first trip there we saw. . .
Wooden Walgreen sign ready to be hung.
And glass being covered with boards. This building normally has huge windows.
And two days later.
Let’s look at some other changes. See those papers on the door (faux front) with blue painters tape holding them on? Many doors have them, they are photos of the area, showing how the buildings did look and should look.
Do you want to wash dishes for .10 or .15 cents an hour? Cook for .15 cents an hour, or $3-5.50 a day or $250 a month?
Sidenote: You can read an article from when he was in Manitowoc last month and see where else he'll be after Oshkosh and see a few photos of him in Columbus, Wisconsin. And when I twittered about being on the news it's because we were interviewed while taking photos in Oshkosh.
How cool. I've never seen behind the scenes in how they change a modern
city into an old one. Especially since you live there and know the before
and after details. Interesting stuff.
They film in Washington, DC all the time but I have never been able to
check it out - plus there are way too many security issues usually !! Very
interesting how they are completely changing the look. Great post.
Thanks for the tour, what a fun post. I have seen the filming of several
movies in NYC and one in Washington DC. It was really fun to watch. As
for washing the dishing and cooking of 10 or 15 cents an hour, count me in,
I do it here all the time for free!!
Very cool. I went to UNC when they transformed that for Patch Adams. It
was really exciting to see how they changed the buildings.
Thank you for the pictures. When Johnny Depp was in the nearby town of
Crown Point, I never did get there to try to see him. But the excitement of
his visit was fascinating to read about, and I loved listening to the
stories of those who met the actor.
SO COOL!!! I love how they are trying to be historically accurate. Who
cares about the actors, but I would love to see the shoot out scene!
OMG!! Who cares about Depp?? Did you seee CHRISTIAN BALE?? He's in it,
too. And, is my favorite lust of all time. Ugh. I'd seriously wet my
pants to hear his accent. AHH
I am very impressed at the attention to detail they are putting into
everything! Wow! I would've thought it was all on a soundstage in
Hollywood. I love it when they take the pains to do things like that on
location. So cool to be able to see it through your lens :) NOW....I MUST
SEE JOHNNY DEPP!
Lisa - this is very interesting stuff! My 12 year old daughter thought it
was the best post ever! Thanks for sharing.
That was very interesting. I think it is cool when they film near us and
we see the sets. The kids and I lined up to be extras for Brad Pitt's
Jesse James movie. We didn't get parts, but a kid in a family we know
quite well got a part. We still haven't seen the movie. Last summer West
Edmonton Mall had Christmas decorations up the whole time because they were
filming a movie. We were made to wait once while they finished filming a
part. Thanks for sharing all the photos of the changes. It will be cool
to see the movie after seeing the things in your photos.
This is just the coolest thing!!! I'm going to be stalking your blog even
more than I alread do!! Love it!
WOW, would love to see something like that - way cool :D!
(And I love Johnny Depp, slobber...)
All i want to know is did you meet him!? Had a great time in Green Bay
weather was alittle crappy but we still had fun
That's really interesting how they make the city look old. I would love to
get a good behind the scenes look at a movie being made. They filmed the
movie The Truman Show near our house and we decided to drive out and watch.
We took the kids and when we got to Seaside there was a huge bonfire on
the beach and people were starting to gather around it so we thought they
were filming a scene. We walked down, spread out our blanket, cracked a
cold one and let the kids run around with their buckets and shovels.
They're cute kids so we hoped they would be included in the scene being
filmed. People walking down to the bonfire appeared very solemn and the
Island King asked one guy what scene they were filming. Turns out a camera
man had been electricuted a few days earlier and this was a memorial for
him! We VERY quickly rounded up the kids, gathered our stuff and literally
ran to the car. I still cannot believe that we crashed that poor man's
memorial. And being the sick people we are, the Island King and I still
fall out laughing whenever we think about us sending the kids over closer
to the bonfire with their shovels so they "can be in the movie" They
filmed for a few more weeks but we were too embarassed to go back LOL
TOO cool...The did the same thing in my neighborhood a couple years
ago..they filmed "The Game of their Lives" about the World Cup Soccer Team
in the 1950's who was almost all from my neighborhood..our church, the
bakeries etc were all in the movie..it was cool!
I'm impressed. I hope the town gets a lot of moulah out of their
transformation! Very cool. I hadn't even thought about what the movie
industry would do to change a town.
You shared the signs I am saving to post for Photohunters, unique signs
day. Hard to believe that a giant sundial should be hidden behind that
wall, but it had to be taken down. Did you get any pictures of the trolley?
I haven't gotten downtown since they started the work on Washington Street,
which runs in front of library. I know I will not get down there though.
Great photos.
I love it! That is soooooooooooooooooooooooo freaking cool! When the film
set leaves...will the stores keep the new store fronts or will it all go
back to normal?!?!? I would keep the store fronts but just change the name
back! That is just soooooooooooooooooooo NEAT! Thanks for taking those
pics and showing all of us what it looks like on a film set!!!!
Quite cool. I knew about Columbus, especially it being so close, but didn't
know they moved on. Wonder what happened to downtown Baraboo where they
first planned to shoot.
You've really captured something there.
what a wonderful picture post!! i loved it! how cool!
p.s... i'm a little slow about the tax relief thing. i know i still have
a couple of days but, it's been hectic here, as you can tell from my last
post...but i promise...i have NOT forgotten!!
How cool is that? I guess I never thought about the preparations that
would have to be made to shoot a movie on a regular city street. I like
the old look better. Too bad it's temporary.
OMG! I just clicked the movie link. Johnny Depp *and* Christian Bale? I
*must* see this movie!
This is so exciting, I love seeing all the photos of how they changed the
shops.