Hollywood Invasion

10 things you really need to know about Massachusetts’ overnight transformation from show-biz laughingstock to movie magnet—including how you can get in on the fun.

: Illustration by Sean McCabe.

Hollywood Moment Greensman Tim Jackson on changing the seasons outside Drew Barrymore’s apartment.

With the help of silk leaves that come in 14 varieties and a host of hues, Jackson can make a tree look lush even in the dead of winter. (Dressing one in faux foliage can take around 36 man-hours and cost about $5,000.) For Fever Pitch, getting a Marlborough Street oak outside Drew Barrymore’s character’s apartment ready for its close-up required a cherry picker to reach limbs 30 feet off the ground. “We covered about half of it with leaves,” Jackson recalls. “It was just a shot of the back of it out the window, but you know, you’ve got to cover all your bases.”

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In a city where only a handful of films had been shot since 2000, this year brought a comeback of big-screen proportions: six movies, $120 million, and A-list celebrities popping up all across town. But even if you've heard the hype and ogled all the paparazzi photos--Yes, paparazzi! In Boston!--what do you really know about our overnight transformation from show-biz laughingstock to movie magnet? Presenting the ultimate user's manual for the Massachusetts movie boom: where to scope out the stars, who's cashing in on the celluloid largesse, how you can get in on the fun, and more.

1. So we finally figured out this movie-wooing thing. What made the state get its act together? How a revelation on Beacon Hill—and a little push from Chris Cooper—touched off a gold rush.

2. All the money that studios have poured into the Hub this year—where's it actually going? Running the numbers on a film shoot's spending.

3. Who’s cashing in the most on the celluloid largesse...? The sometimes surprising trickle-down beneficiaries of the movie boom.

4. ...And who’s getting screwed?

5. I’d like to rub elbows with some stars. Where should I go? Well-informed speculation on where the next wave of A-list visitors might turn up.

6. I'd also like my own 15 minutes of fame, please. How can I get myself into a movie? Because somebody has to stand around in the background during the big scene.

7. Some of these films aren't even set in this city—or this country. How do they make here look like somewhere else? Pulling back the curtain on the roles Boston has been tapped for this year.

8. When producers look to put together a Boston crew, who gets the first call? A roster of the Hub’s off-camera all-stars.

9. Does any of this mean we finally might see some truly authentic Boston movies get made? How our city gets stereotyped on the big screen, and why there’s hope that might change.

10. Well, this has been fun. What’ll it take to keep the Hollywood love flowing? A cautionary tale from Tinseltown’s former favorite city.

Go on to the next page to find out how the movies made their way to Boston...

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