SCHUMER LAUNCHES PUSH TO SECURE SWIFT FED REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF A HELICOPTER PERMIT FOR MAJOR MOVIE PRODUCTION TO FILM IN BUFFALO NEXT MONTH – PROJECT IS ESTIMATED TO BRING MILLIONS IN ECONOMIC IMPACT, BOOSTING REVENUE FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES & TOURISM INDUSTRY

Filming For ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2’ Movie Would Take Just Two Weeks And Have Estimated Economic Impact In Millions To Queen City; Paramount Pictures Plans to Patronize Local Vendors And Businesses, Which Would Benefit From Production Crew of 200+

Buffalo-Area Businesses, Hotel Owners, Local Restaurants & Other Suppliers Will Provide Food, Lodging, Other Supplies For The Shoot and Crew, Increasing Their Business Opportunities While Encouraging Visitors to Enjoy All The City of Buffalo Has to Offer 

Schumer: Approving Filming Permits Puts Queen City In The Spotlight

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the Flight Standards District Office of the Federal Aviation Administration to approve a helicopter permit to allow Paramount Pictures to film a portion of their new movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, in the City of Buffalo next month. Schumer said that production of the film would take place from May 4 through May 17, 2015, and that two helicopters will be used in the shoot, requiring permission from the Flight Standards Office. The shoot is estimated to generate millions in economic revenue for the area in just the two weeks. Schumer said the film is expected to bolster local hotels, restaurants, vendors and other attractions as they provide supplies to the production and more than 200-person film crew. In addition, many workers from the community will be hired during the shoot.

“This film is a great opportunity for the Buffalo area to increase business revenue and opportunities, while encouraging visitors to enjoy all the city has to offer. Filming a movie like this bring lots of energy and economic activity, and it will also highlight Buffalo’s emerging role as a player in the film industry,” said Schumer.

Schumer added, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 is a major motion picture event that will bring significant economic opportunities to the area – giving the City of Buffalo all the more reason to play a leading role. In just two weeks of filming, the production of this film would put the Queen City in the Spotlight, generating millions of dollars for local Buffalo vendors and businesses. That is why I am pushing the Flight Standards District Office to approve these necessary filming permits as soon as possible to keep the film’s schedule on course. We have the opportunity to show the world why Buffalo should be a filming hotspot for Hollywood and it’s a chance we should not pass up.”

“The filming of ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 2’ is an exciting project for the City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission,” said Tim Clark, Film Commissioner. “We expect it to have a great economic impact on the region, and to bring some well-deserved attention to the City of Buffalo. We thank Senator Schumer for stepping in to make sure that we have the permits we need to keep the filming schedule on track and running smoothly.”

Filming will take place on the Kensington Expressway from May 4 through May 17, with five of those days requiring the use of two helicopters to shoot a major action scene, and film crew members have been in the Buffalo area for the past few weeks preparing for the shoot. Schumer said that given the film’s tight shooting schedule, the Film Standards District Office should approve production permits without delay. The City of Buffalo, the Buffalo Film Commission, and Paramount Pictures have already completed community outreach sessions to assure local residents that their lives would not be disrupted in a major way during filming. Schumer said a community meeting was held on April 16 at the Buffalo Museum of Science and the response from community leaders and residents was extremely positive. Schumer said the city and studio representatives had conducted extensive public outreach to ensure that the public was aware of the shoot and of the closure of the Kensington Expressway. Schumer explained that Buffalo has much to gain in terms of economic impact from the production, and it is vital that the filming schedule remain on track.

A sequel to the 2014 blockbuster which grossed nearly $500 million worldwide, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, is scheduled to be released on June 3, 2016. The previous film utilized numerous New York filming locations including New York City, Tupper Lake in Franklin County, and Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh.

A copy of Schumer’s letter to Carl Kohl, of the Flight Standards District Office, is available below:

Dear Mr. Kohl,

I write today to urge you to approve and swiftly return the permit for Frederic North of Largo, Inc., in conjunction with Paramount Pictures for the filming of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, part of which will be filmed in Buffalo, NY. This is an exciting and important project for the City of Buffalo, with work taking place from May 4 through May 17, 2015. In addition to the excitement surrounding the project, and the attention this brings to the Queen City, it will also have an estimated economic impact in the millions in just two weeks. Paramount will be bringing upwards of 200 crew members to Buffalo for the shoot, all of whom will be staying in local hotels, eating at local restaurants, and enjoying all the city has to offer. An additional many workers from the community will be hired to work on the shoot. In general, Paramount will also be patronizing local vendors for food and other supplies for the shoot.

I know that the City of Buffalo, the Buffalo Film Commission, and Paramount Pictures have all done a great deal of outreach in the community. On April 16, a community meeting was held at the Buffalo Museum of Science, and a number of block club presidents, local pastors and residents were in attendance. The entities answered questions from the residents, and my understanding is that the response from the community was extremely positive in regards to this project. The city has also done outreach through the media, and flyers were sent out to local residents to make them aware of the shoot and the closure of the Kensington Expressway. Again, the response to this project from residents has been overwhelmingly positive.

This is an important project for the City of Buffalo, and I would ask that you do everything you can to swiftly approve the application so that the progress for this shoot remains on track. If you should have additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

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