What's That Film Crew?

Wondering what that film crew was doing stationed outside an Oak Park restaurant over the weekend?

It was part of a national advertising campaign for Harris Bank, Oak Park village officials said. The crew was actually in Oak Park shooting three locations: Two private residences and 330 W. Madison St.

Cedric Melton, director of the village's community relations department, said he typically receives three or four inquiries from national location scouts each month.

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"The scouts will call me and tell me what they're looking for...facades, houses, or buildings to suit their needs, then they'll go out and do patrolling," Melton said.

Groups looking to film in Oak Park must secure permits, which requires notification of neighbors and time limits on filming. If off-duty police presence is required, the production company picks up the tab.

And this summer could be particularly busy — Melton there's another national commercial slated to shoot in Oak Park later this week and the "possibility of two major motion pictures" filming here, too.