MOUNT PLEASANT — Shana Inman, a working mother with four children, was at her wits' end after three sleepless nights in a row.Â
The Old Village resident said she was kept awake by "explosions, screaming, loud machinery and bright lights through the night until 5 a.m." The Netflix hit show "Outer Banks" was filming in the area.
Inman said the film crews began setting up Sept. 22 and didn't clear out until Sept. 26. During the day, a large crane sat opposite of her driveway on Pitt Street, and she had to carry in her groceries from where she parked down the block; the road to her house was blocked off and being patrolled by an off-duty police officer.Â
Inman, like some of her neighbors, was not given prior notice that "Outer Banks" would be filming in the area.Â
Typically, "Outer Banks" crew members notify a neighborhood by posting fliers at least twice in advance in a multiple-block radius to let residents know the dates of filming and what will be happening. There is also sometimes compensation for the use of a location or inconvenience associated with filming.Â
The crew also needs a permit issued by the town for any filming on public property. Mount Pleasant confirmed a permit had been issued for the filming, but Town Administrator Eric DeMoura admitted that something went awry following the approval process.
"Those who are upset have every reason to be upset," said DeMoura, who has received around a half-dozen complaints from residents in the Old Village. "Where this went wrong is 'Outer Banks' went beyond (the location) that was approved in the permit. They went to the perimeter."
Crewmembers gather in front of houses in the Old Village during filming for "Outer Banks." Chris Colman/Provided
While the businesses and residents directly in the midst of filming around Hardware Alley were indeed notified, the neighbors at the outskirts were not made aware but still subjected to the accompanying equipment, street blockages and noises.Â
"They were trying to put wires in my trees at one point," said resident Chris Colman. "A film permit shouldn’t give them the right to violate the town."
Colman said he did receive a flier but only on the first day of filming. He said the crew was emulating a thunderstorm with a giant rain and thunder simulator that kept him and his wife up at night, along with bright lights, including a strobe, that shined through his windows.Â
"We were basically surrounded," he said. "It was difficult to walk out of my house, difficult to take my dog out for a walk. It was really an invasion."
Inman and Colman both said that filming had occurred in the area last year for the first season of the show, but there were no loud noises or overnight disturbances. Fliers had been posted in advance that time around.Â
"That first time, it was a fun experience," Inman said. "It didn't really affect my schedule, but this time affected my sleep schedule and me getting my kids to where they needed to go."Â
She added that if the crew had been more considerate and provided compensation, she wouldn't be complaining.Â
Residents of the Old Village are complaining about "Outer Banks" filming, which took place over three nights into the early morning and included loud noises and bright lights. Chris Colman/Provided
Colman said that his experience with crewmembers was courteous; he even invited one guy over for dinner. Following his complaints, he received a gift certificate to a local restaurant.Â
DeMoura has made note of complaints and said that any future permits will face a more scrutinized approval process. More off-duty police officers will be required to be on site and have the power to shut down filming if it gets too loud or runs too late into the night, he said.Â
DeMoura has been in contact with “Outer Banks" crewmembers to relay complaints.Â
"They were cooperative and have usually been great," he said. "This one just got out of hand a little bit."Â
Colman had a solution for keeping him and his neighbors happy when the crew comes back next time.Â
"If you want to make my property uninhabitable, put me up for the night with my wife somewhere," Colman said.
The show did not release an official statement in response to complaints.Â
