Aspinwall considering ordinance regulating movie filming in the borough

It is no secret that Western Pennsylvania has had its share of Hollywood experiences the past few years.

The Tom Hanks film “A Man Called Otto,” which made it to No. 1 on Netflix earlier this month, was shot in various locations including Oakmont in 2022.

Season two of Amazon Freevee’s “American Rust” filmed in Duquesne earlier this year.

Amazon Prime Video’s series “A League of Their Own” — based on the 1992 classic with Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna — filmed in Pittsburgh and parts of Greensburg in 2021.

Could the next big movie or show be coming to Aspinwall?

Borough officials hope to have some rules in place should studios come calling. They are in the early stages of crafting an ordinance.

“Pittsburgh has definitely become a hot spot for movies and video projects,” Aspinwall Council President Tim McLaughlin said via email. “We just wanted to get ahead of bigger asks that may come our way.”

And he said he would “absolutely” be ready for his closeup should a casting crew need him.

Aspinwall has not received a request to film in at least the past six months, borough Manager Melissa Lang O’Malley said.

“The last thing to be filmed was a commercial for a skin care line in October 2022,” she said. “It was filmed on Brilliant (Avenue) in several locations. A commercial for Allegheny Health Network was filmed on our baseball fields in May of 2022, and a small independent movie was filmed in Towne Drug in July of 2021. It was called ‘Basic Psych.’ ”

No borough regulations have been set.

“I have copies of ordinances from other communities,” Lang O’Malley said. Those communities are Pittsburgh and Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County. “I haven’t ‘merged’ them to create a proposed one for Aspinwall.”

Companies that want to film in Pittsburgh must submit applications at least seven business days before their first shoot date, according to Pittsburgh’s Office of Film & Event Management.

Location managers and film producers also may have to apply for permits, such as for parking of production trucks for shoots on private property, shoots on city property, shoots that require the use of city services and assets such as police and office buildings as well as utilization of drones.

Lower Merion’s regulations require applications to be submitted no later than 30 calendar days before the first filming day. Other requirements include reimbursement for costs and services, such as the use of police for a production, and proof of commercial liability insurance. Arrangements for filming or videotaping should not be finalized until a permit is received, township regulations read.

Fox Chapel zoning administrator Dan Moretti said his town does not have a film ordinance.

Blawnox Manager Kathy Ulanowicz said there are no ordinances specific to filming on her borough books, and officials are not working on any.

Indiana Township Manager Dan Anderson said his community does not have a filming ordinance, but any major production would have to coordinate with the township and its police department to minimize disturbance to residents, such as parking and street closures.

Sharpsburg Administrator Carleen Kusar said any filming done there would be coordinated through the police department. She could not confirm Sharpsburg has any specific ordinance regulating such productions.