Warwick log home selected for Hollywood film scene

Citing tax credit and proximately to NYC, producers choose Warwick over Vermont for snow scenes WARWICK - It was “Lights, camera, action,” again in Warwick. On Feb. 16, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Megan Fox and Jon Hamm, had a snowball fight at Mount Peter Ski Area. They were actually filming a scene for their new movie, a comedy titled “Friends With Kids,” on the snow-covered slopes of Mount Peter. And during filming, the scene portrays Fox and Hamm having a snowball fight. Following the shooting at Mount Peter, the cast and crew spent the rest of the day at one of Fred and Deborah Krol’s two log homes on Distillery Road. The Krols, who own and operate Log Chips LLC Custom Log Homes, were approached by the production staff to use their home as part of the upcoming production. The producers needed an attractive log home with lots of snow on the ground that was also close to New York City. Deborah Krol explained that the scenes filmed in Warwick are supposed to take place in Vermont but budget as well as tax credit and union restrictions required that they all be filmed in New York State. “When they settled on using our log home,” she said, “I also suggested using Mount Peter for the ski scenes because it was only five minutes away. There were about 60 people involved and it’s a low budget production. They thought that was a good idea.” The crew used the Krol’s custom log home for the exterior shots and another log home in the Bronx for the interior scenes. “They were originally planning to use our home for the interior scenes as well as the outside ones,” said Krol, “but that would have been a four-day affair with the cast and crew having to stay nearby. It would have been wonderful for Warwick’s economy. We were willing but they decided against it because of the additional expense.” The scenes with actors Edward Burns, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt, who is also the writer and director of the film, and others were shot from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Actress Megan Fox, 24, showed up briefly for the filming of the movie’s trailer. The actress, whose breakout role was in the 2007 film blockbuster, “Transformers,” may have been the reason a group of local youngsters, who somehow got the word, waited patiently at the bottom of the long driveway or why a helicopter flew low overhead. “This was a fun experience,” said Krol. “But everyone was exhausted at the end of the day. The crew was wonderful and Ed Burns, who comes from Long Island, was amazed at how beautiful Warwick was. I think they all discovered that.”

This was a fun experience.... The crew was wonderful and Ed Burns, who comes from Long Island, was amazed at how beautiful Warwick was. I think they all discovered that.” Deborah Krol, whose two log homes on Distillery Road were used by a movie crew filming a comedy, “Friends with Kids,” last month in Warwick.