Troy moves to attract film crews
The city rolled out its updated Film in Troy website to promote local movie and television production opportunities by linking it to the Monday debut of “The Gilded Age” on HBO, a production that spent last May and June filming on Troy’s streets and in historic buildings.
The website www.troyny.gov/ filmintroy spotlights state tax breaks, the movies and television shows that have shot scenes in the city, and the assistance the city can provide to filmmakers with permits, locations and logistics.
The city hopes to cash in on seeing more productions, which in turn can pump money into the local economy.
“The selection of our city as a filming location is the latest example of Troy’s growing prominence as a destination for film and television productions in upstate New York, helping bring economic activity to Troy businesses and restaurants, and creating new tourism opportunities for the Collar City and Capital Region,” Mayor Patrick Madden said in a statement Monday.
Troy served as a stand in for New York City in “The Gilded Age.” Troy’s 19th century architecture has survived intact downtown providing Gilded Age crews the opportunity to work on the street and inside buildings without having to build extensive sets.
Visitors came to the city to watch the filming. They saw costumed extras walking through the streets to various locations.
Monument Square became downtown Manhattan for the nine-part series, while Washington Park stood in for Madison Square Park when the torch of the Statue of Liberty was displayed there. All of this can be seen in the series, which also filmed at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy Public Library, Rensselaer County Court House, Oakwood Cemetery, the Hart Cluett Museum, Frear House at Russell Sage College and in various residences and commercial buildings. Portions of Second Street, River Street, Third Street, Washington Place and Broadway also appear in the production.
Julian Fellowes, who created the popular “Downton Abbey” series, is the creator and writer of “The Gilded Age.” Both dramatic series emphasize their historic authenticity in telling their stories. “The Gilded Age” is set in late 19th century New York several decades before the action of “Downton Abbey,” which opened with news of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The show portrayed the lives of British aristocrats through the late 1920s. There is expected to be a crossover between the two series. Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton and Louisa Jacobson are in the cast for the new show. Kelley Curran who grew up in Slingerlands also appears in the series.
Other productions that have filmed in Troy include “The Age of Innocence,” “The Emperor’s Club,” “Scent of a Woman,” “The Time Machine,” “Ironweed,” “Shoplifters of the World Unite,” “Motherless Brooklyn” and “Modern Love.”