Several Film Shoots Come to Westfield

Westfield's popularity with the television and film industry continues as Town Council members were briefed on a series of filming requests for the coming weeks.

Town Administrator Jim Gildea informed Council members of a series of shoots approved for the town, including one scheduled for early Wednesday evening in from of Vicki's Diner from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the IRS and a larger ABC shoot for later this month.

Gildea said the Wednesday shoot will be held on benches in front of the diner, along with inside the diner. The shoot will also be occurring in Hoboken and Cranford for the commercial. A shoot will also occur downtown on Friday, primarily in the barbershop before moving to private homes.

The biggest of the filming projects was a request by ABC for their show "What Would You Do?"  This would be filmed for two days on Prospect Street on Oct. 14 and 15.  Gildea said that the filming is not complete as Disney has a number of criteria which have to be met, and they are still trying to decide whether Westfield meets them all. 

Town officials have expressed some concern with the ABC shoot do to possible disruptions on Prospect Street, including a bank drive-through and deliveries to the backs of East Broad Street stores.

The shooting is also on the same night as the first annual Girls Night Out.  While Gildea does not yet have the answers to all of the questions about possible conflicts, he assured everyone that the town comes first, and that they will try to work it out so it is not too much of a disruption to the town. 

The filming schedule follows an increasing number of film shoots in town. Over the last year several commercials and a Japanese romantic comedy filmed in town. Westfield also served as the shooting locale for the NBC television series, "Ed."