Head of Chicago Film Office Calls It Quits

Head of Chicago Film Office Calls It Quits

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Before there was Hollywood California, there was Chicago. In the earliest days of movie making, the north side of the Second City was the first city. This is where in 1907 a one reel silent film called An Awful Skate starring Ben Turpin was shot. it was screened at nickelodeons across the country. But Chicago’s movie making period was brief and many argue it was the cold weather that prompted the scene to movie to the west coast. Over the following decades though Chicago would be the site for films ranging from The Blues Brothers and The Untouchables to The Babe. But those were few and far between. More recently though, the city has seen an uptick in film projects wanting to use Chicago as a backdrop.One of the common sights in Chicago these days are those white movie trailers parked along the streets of the city. For some residents they’re a pain because shooting a film or TV show means parking hassles, for others it’s a chance to spot a celebrity or two. For the last 23 years Rich Moskal has been the one in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly when Hollywood descends on the city, whether it’s when NBC’s Chicago Fire needs to film a scene, or the Rock is making another movie or in 2007 when the latest batman movie was shot here. But after more than two decades running the Chicago Film Office, Moskal has decided to step down and try something new. He joined the Morning Shift to share his experiences helping build Chicago into a hot spot for film and television.