Rent is filming — Page 2

And look, there's Adam!

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I went to the set again tonight (ahh! I'm turning into a groupie). I couldn't stay long because I had to meet some friends, but what they were shooting was Rosario walking out of the Cat Scratch Club and across the street into an alley. I think she was also doing some singing and acting in the alley, but we couldn't see down there. She was singing along to "Out Tonight". They did 2 rehersals of it and then actually shot the scene, I believe. Everything sounded and looked good!

Once again, lots of problems with the residents of Sixth Street. Most of them seem to be really unhappy that their neighborhood is being taken over by film crews, and they did have some legit points. Still, tonight was the last night of filming on that location, so hopefully all will go back to normal for them soon. :)

I'm partial to Daphne's "Out Tonight"...Rosario's didn't quite have the belt behind it which I would have liked, but it still sounded good...just sort of different then what I am used to on the OBCR.

Well, the crew set up a lot of bright lights pointing exactly into people's bedroom windows. Imagine like a 10,000 watt lightbulb in your window. But, mainly it is a bunch of crazy and drunk people with nothing better to do than just pick fights with the security.

Sorry, I was a bit harsh before, but I live on a college campus, so I guess I'm used to distractions. Like the band on the floor below me that just started practice. And the drunken putz outside screaming "SHUT THE F*CK UP!"

Anyway...Has there been any mention of how long the shoots in the area will last?

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The P.A. I was talking to tonight said that this was the last day of filming on Sixth Street. He seemed more than relieved. LOL

Oh, I actually took a picture of the bright light next to one of the buildings that people live in. Some of the residents were like leaning out their windows and screaming at the crew. I took the pic on my camera phone, so the quality sucks majorly, but you get the idea.


Big Bright Light!

Updated On: 4/2/05 at 02:16 AM

When I was hovering on 6th Street last week to find the Rent locations, I was actually stopped by a couple of guys who live in the neighbourhood, who asked me why I was taking photos of these random places. Anyway, I casually mentioned the Rent filming and one of them said it had been filming the day earlier, "for better or worse". We continued to talk for a while longer, and I can understand the frustration of some of the people in that area, apart from the crazed druggies who just want to interfere.

Imagine that you're in this situation where you can't make ends meet and you're not getting the social assistance or respect that you deserve on a daily basis. You're hungry, broke, sick, uneducated, and you're continually marginalized by the majority of society when it comes to political agendas and social reform. Now this film crew comes onto your turf without you getting anything for it. Aside from the annoyance at having bright movie lights and chaos outside of your abode, these people are also from the middle class, substantially wealthier than you, and - let's be honest (and I say this as a Rent fan) - to an extent, romanticizing "la vie boheme", and - at least in some of the locals' perception - not portraying it with the gravity it deserves. And to boot, you're stuck living in this craphole while the epitome of excess - the high budget Hollywood movie - is taking over for a few days right in front of you.

I've been a PA in movies before in crappy areas similar to 6th Street, where we're not allowed to eat outside of the catering tents, or if we walk down a sidewalk, we have to conceal the food between folders and bags so we don't piss off the homeless there too much. There's a lot of resentment because they perceive it that their life and daily stressors are bad enough - dealing with addiction, poverty, lack of governmental aid - and then they have these movie folks further inconveniencing them, and no one has offered to compensate them in any way or try to help them out of their situations. Top that off with having a bunch of impossibly good looking, well-dressed and well-coifed performers (save for Adam ) singing poetic on the trials and tribulations of being poor, dying and drug addicted...well...it rubs salt into some wounds.

Just my 2c of what I heard and perceived by talking to the residents in that area and working in those shoddy areas before. Of course, the intrusive drunkards are another story. But it's an interesting and valid perspective nonetheless.

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Most of the residents that I came into contact with didn't even know what RENT was. They were asking the security guards who would try to explain it (although many of the security guards weren't quite sure either) but to no avail. I definitely think that the residents make a good point. Does anyone know if the production company is giving anything back to the area specifically?

There's a lot of resentment because they perceive it that their life and daily stressors are bad enough ....

Tiff, it reminded me of something similar. I remember sleeping on 41st street for the Rent line early on in '97. There were about 30 of us in sleeping bags w/ radios, McDonald's, etc. There was a homeless man that walked by and was furious at us. At first he thought we were homeless and thought we were showing off how much better off we were - basking in luxury out there with our blankets and radios/portable TVs while they were struggling. Then he realized we weren't homeless and thought we were all making fun of homeless people (kind of "playing" homeless for a night). He walked up and down the line yelling out comments and preaching to us about how easy we have it. Once he started talking to us, his tone changed and he ended up sitting with our group most of the night talking. Real nice guy. However, not one of us every considered that we were invading their 'territory' in a sense and it never occurred to us that the homeless would perceive it as so.

how did people get clips of Rosario singing Rent? Is it on the internet somewhere? MUST HEAR :)

Hi...I just wanted to let you guys know that I was hangin around the set for a couple days...I met everyone and they were all really nice. I took a ton of pics cause I'm a geek like that. Some of them are blurry bc we weren't allowed to use a flash at night...so enjoy!! http://photobucket.com/albums/y79/gretchenrose/

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