Security at Louisiana Filming Facility Tight, And They Mean Business

Scene, a magazine that covers the burgeoning film industry in Louisiana, interviewed the head of security at the compound where Breaking Dawn will be filming. Coincidentally, the magazine’s own offices are located within the same compound which is comprised of several buildings, over multiple acres, surrounded by a large fence. When talking about dealing with people (fans or paparazzi) crashing the set, they have a zero tolerance policy, and the law to back them up. If ever there was a “don’t try this at home, kids” warning that applied to Twilight filming, THIS IS IT!

“That statute of Louisiana’s criminal law states that, “Unauthorized entry of a place of business is the intentional entry by a person without authority into any structure or onto any premises, belonging to another, that is completely enclosed by any type of physical barrier that is at least six feet in height and used in whole or in part as a place of business.” Those convicted of felony trespass on the studio lot are subject to imprisonment at hard labor for up to six years and a fine of up to $1000.

“We will absolutely prosecute every person who trespasses,” says Achee. “There have been six who trespassed before and they have all been caught.” When asked how he knew only six had trespassed before, Achee’s answer came quick: “Security cameras. The property is covered with high definition security cameras. A camera mounted on the [main building] can capture the license plate of a car all the way on the other side of the property.” The security camera system video is stored to a source that is backed up offsite. Additionally, the system has a back-up power supply that allows it to continue operating in the event of a power failure.

Achee and his crew of security officers are authorized to detain any trespassers by force until local law enforcement arrives to complete the felony arrest. We asked him if he planned on seeing any young teenage girls arrested, Achee said, “Absolutely. I think of this place as a home. You wouldn’t want somebody trespassing in your home, and if you did, you’d defend yourself. That’s what we’re doing here, it doesn’t matter who it is.”

See full details on Scene

And just to cover ourselves legally, the Lexicon will continue the policy that it has had since 2008. If something is filmed in the open and people are able to obtain footage by standing on public property or private property with permission and capture footage we will publish it. Any footage obtained by breaking and entering, harassing of cast and crew, or any other illegal means we will not knowingly run.

Breaking Dawn Building Away in Louisiana

Collider, which provides some of the best Twilight and general film industry coverage out there, has an update on the progress in Louisiana.

“We first heard that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn would film in Louisiana and Vancouver from our interview with producer Wyck Godfrey.  Today, one of the stars of franchise, Nikki Reed, told Hollywood Life she will start filming in “just over a week.”  We have confirmed through two sources that the production is currently building sets in the Raleigh Studios at the Celtic Media Centre in Baton Rouge, including Edward’s house.  We’ve been told the interior scenes will be shot in Louisiana, while the exteriors will presumably be shot in Vancouver.”

See more on Collider.

Given that based on the book, much of Breaking Dawn takes place indoors this planning stands to reason.  Major outdoor scenes are mostly limited to wolfpack patrol, the spotting of Renesmee, Bella’s first hunt, battle training, and the final confrontation.

Since we are talking indoor scenes at a controlled studio, there’s probably not much chance for fans to catch a glimpse of filming in Louisiana.

USA Today: Why Louisiana Is the New Hot Filming Spot

Lots of fans were baffled when Louisiana was announced as a filming location for Breaking Dawn. We even openly scoffed at the idea on Twitter. USA Today gives a bit of an explanation:

“The boom is most visible around New Orleans. In 2009, 22 movies and TV shows filmed there. Records have already been broken in 2010; by July, 24 projects had shot there.

“We’re way ahead of the curve in the New Orleans region,” says Katie Gunnell, interim director of the city’s Office of Film and Television. “The city has seen an incredible bump in applications for 2011 as well.”

Across the state, work is consistent and year-round, despite hurricane season and blazing summer temperatures. “We’ve maintained 20 to 25 productions at any given time during the year,” Stelly says. “We’ve doubled for New York City, Los Angeles, the Northwest, basically Anytown, USA.”

Those who have shot there point to several factors contributing to the region’s appeal: diversity of scenery, financial incentives and proficient crews.

“You can get an 1800s look, you can get a Parisian look,” says Todd Lewis, producer of The Chaperone. “You can get suburbs, you can get the country. It’s got a little bit of everything.”

See more on USA Today.