by David Flint
With the filming of a bar scene at the Stephentown Hotel on Tuesday, October 7, the Focus Features movie company wrapped up its production of “Taking Woodstock” in Stephentown. Marilyn Means, proprietor of the Hotel, said the set crew did a fantastic job in making her bar look just like it did back in the 60s when she took the place over from her mother – and before she spent a fortune fixing it up and modernizing it.
At least four scenes of the movie were shot in and around the Evangelical Community Church adjacent to the Veterans Park. Pastor Alan Wolcott summed it up as a good experience. The movie people were all very respectful, he said, and he was very impressed with the professionalism of all the staff, especially Director Ang Lee and Assistant Director Michael Houseman. Wolcott remarked also on the “splendid” work of Bill Garvey, the liaison man from the location crew. “He made sure we were happy at every step of the process.” When mud got tracked into the church during a rainstorm, Garvey hired a company to steam clean the carpets. With filming completed, they put everything back they way they found it, and they have promised to thoroughly repair any damage done to the grounds. Wolcott also appreciated being invited to the catering tent over by the Stephentown Hotel for just about every sumptuous meal they had there. He said he believed most everyone in town had enjoyed having the movie people around and he had heard no negative comments from anyone.
Wolcott said he learned a lot about movie making. Some of it he found to be boring and frustrating, such as the way a whole day could be spent rehearsing a scene that lasts seven minutes. During filming he got to stand behind Ang Lee as he directed the scene. Scenes included two “town meeting” scenes, one with protesters, a kitchen scene and an outdoors scene at night.
Wolcott was also impressed with the money that is spent on doing everything just right. As one example he noted that two 80-foot boom cranes were hired just to hold up a light that would appear to be the moon during the nighttime scene.
Wolcott said he made it clear to the company that his church was not doing this for the money. Rather, he told them that if there was an opportunity to speak with any of the staff about God he would do that, and he did on several occasions. He also held a prayer meeting asking for the safety of all the cast and crew.
Wolcott said he of course wants to see the movie when it is finished, but he is a bit apprehensive knowing it probably won’t be rated PG.
Up the road, Paul Sykes, who oversaw things from his store window and provided props, pastries and parking space for the buses shuttling in extras, summed it up saying, “It’s been fun. We’ll miss ’em.”