Lights, camera, action!

Some neighborhoods have too much traffic or noise. Some neighborhoods have shops, movie theaters or restaurants. My neighborhood has all of these things plus the Queen Mary and Pacific Ocean, making it a hotspot for filming. More times than I can count, I have stepped outside and run into barricades, lights and camera crews. Sometimes the filming is for a movie, but more often than not it’s a TV show. Scripted or reality, the production crews seem to like to work in Long Beach.

If the filming is to take place in a residential area, the city is kind enough to provide advance warning. The city has an Office of Special Events and Filming that promotes Long Beach as a filming site and makes arrangements to accommodate productions. I’ve arrived home several times to find notices taped to my door detailing the hours of any upcoming filming as well as anything out of the ordinary that might take place. (Gunfire, explosions, pyrotechnics, police chases, things that might cause a panic if there were no forewarning.) From time to time, there are road closures and a small detour. It’s usually nothing outrageous, but it’s enough to be annoying if you’re in a hurry.

Sometimes I’ll be driving through town and spot a bright yellow sign. Film crews use these signs with thick, black lettering and arrows to direct the appropriate people (and the curious) to locations. It’s not unusual to see signs for “Dexter,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Bones” and “CSI: Miami” around Long Beach. (But seriously, “CSI: Miami” is down here so much that they really don’t need any signs. They know darn well where they are going.)

Because I am unemployed and often bored, I walk around the neighborhood a lot. Yesterday, I was making the rounds and ran across a yellow sign that read, “MP à.” The first thing that came to mind was “Mafia Princess,” but then I figured it had to mean “Melrose Place,” a hit show from the ‘90s that’s being made into a 2.0 version for the CW. I followed the signs to investigate. A nearby parking lot housed several trailers and portable toilets, sure signs that something Hollywood-related was going on. The presence of caterers, security guards and an open bar was further evidence. But I didn’t see any lights, cameras or power cords, so it seemed I had just stumbled onto a base camp. I kept walking so I didn’t look like a crazed stalker.

Today, after more snooping, I found the filming site. The lights, cameras and power cords gave it away. The large “Melrose Place” placards on the dashboards of the semi-trucks confirmed yesterday’s hunch. I spent the afternoon riding my bike around the base camp like a lovesick 12-year-old, waiting for a celebrity sighting. I was hoping for Sydney (Laura Leighton) or Michael (Thomas Calabro) but settled for Ashlee Simpson. I rode by screaming, “HI, ASHLEE!” and she was kind enough to wave back.

Now I have an excuse to tune in for the “Melrose Place” premiere on Sept. 8. I wouldn’t want to miss another chance to see Long Beach on TV!