SEAL BEACH : City Intensifies Efforts to Lure Film Productions

The city, in its push to become more “film friendly,” is playing host to the filming of a television miniseries this week on board a World War II troop carrier moored off the Seal Beach coast.

Next week, it’s “Baywatch” on the pier.

Since July 1, the city has earned $21,000 in revenue from film productions. In a new push to lure film companies to local shores, the city has produced a brochure touting city cooperation and promising a filming location with only 72 hours’ notice. Permission for certain kinds of special effects requires a bit more advance notice.

“It occurred to me that this is something that we should be pursuing, especially in a time of fiscal chaos,” said Andy Seymour, city director of parks and recreations who joined the city about 18 months ago. Filming in the city has been sparse in past years, according to Seymour, who also serves as the city’s liaison for film production.

This week, NBC crews and cast members have been filming “Op Center,” a miniseries created by novelist Tom Clancy and starring former “L.A. Law” actor Harry Hamlin. It is planned for broadcast in the spring. The restored troop carrier, Lane Victory, was brought from San Pedro to the Seal Beach coast for filming. Beachfront residents were advised that nighttime scenes would be filmed with helicopters and simulated tracer fire.

In recent months, Seal Beach has been the site of a Dr. Pepper commercial, which aired for the first time on Monday Night Football, the movie “Apollo 13” starring Tom Hanks and the MGM movie, “Species.”

Next week, actors from the “Baywatch” television series will film a chase scene on the Seal Beach Pier. Seymour said the scene calls for somebody to fall off the pier.

“I assume it will be a stuntman,” he said.