When discussing films which I see being shot in NYC, I have been asked if I ever was used as an extra. Apparently today I was. On my way to work, I stumbled into the first day of shooting for a new film, The Brave One, starring Jodie Foster. The area was unusually lax regarding pedestrian traffic – they appeared to have wanted a natural ambiance and were letting everyone pass by the shooting area. And I imagine that it being so early on a weekday kept the crowds down, making it possible to allow for a normal flow of traffic.

I staked out a position with a few young people who had apparently signed off to allow being filmed – I was not asked, but I remained. I was told by those around me that we were being filmed at various times. I snuck a few still shots and some video showing the actual filming – notice the camera moving down a trolley. It’s always exciting to see a major film actually being made live; here’s a site that has a list of the various films and television programs currently in production in NYC. More photos from the set…