By Jim Scott
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — New York City handed out nearly 2,000 fewer film permits to movie and television production companies in 2010, according to a published report.
The city issued 19,705 film permits in 2010 for shooting movies and television shows on the streets of the Big Apple, down 9 percent from the 21,701 permits issued in 2009, according to city records cited by the New York Post.
Actual filming days, known as "shooting days," dipped to 15,033 last year from 18,666 in 2009. However, there were 200 feature films shot in New York City in 2010, up from 188 in 2009, according to the Post.
Movies released in 2010 like "Iron Man 2", "Kick-Ass", "Morning Glory", "Salt", "Sex and the City 2" and "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" all used the streets of New York City as a backdrop for their films. "30 Rock", "The Good Wife", "Nurse Jackie" and "Damages" are among the dozens of TV shows shot in the Big Apple.
A member of the mayor's office said one of the reasons the number of permits were down was because new regulations do not require small production crews with handheld equipment to pay for a $300 permit.
"There wasn't a rule codifying our practice until 2008. It takes time for people to understand that they don't need our permit," Julianne Cho, associate commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, told the Post.
