November 5, 2021 10:10 a.m.
Streets in downtown Roseburg and the nearby Laurelwood neighborhood will be under intermittent traffic control on Sunday, for the filming of a television commercial expected to capture a small-town America look.
A City of Roseburg release said location scout and photographer Rob Gregory is returning to Roseburg and bringing Minnesota-based Ripsaw Productions and its director with him to shoot scenes for a commercial in which residents may one day recognize the backgrounds as coming from their hometown and surrounding area.
Gregory first brought a film crew to Roseburg in 2019 after discovering that the Umpqua and Willamette valleys west of the coast range were one of only two places in the lower 48 states that are still green in late November. The other being an area between Dallas, Texas and Texarkana.
Gregory was originally drawn to the area after first being impressed by the beauty of a nearby cattle ranch listed on the Oregon Governor’s Office of Film and Video’s location database. Gregory said his crew will be shooting at that same ranch again this time, as well.
The release said the crews plan to use flaggers for intermittent traffic control for driving shots on several downtown streets from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The impacted streets will include Southeast Washington from Rose to Main streets, Southeast Jackson from Douglas to Washington avenues and Oak to Cass Avenues, and Southeast Cass Avenue from Main to Rose streets.
Downtown businesses were notified about the event. “No parking” signs will be set out and flaggers have been hired to assist with traffic control. About 45 crew members are expected.
In Laurelwood, crews plan to prep from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and use intermittent traffic control to shoot driving scenes from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on sections of West Riverside Drive and West Casey Street. “No parking” signs will be posted.
Rain effects may be used at both locations, with the help of rain towers and a water truck.
The City of Roseburg approved two outdoor event permits for the filming, on Thursday.