The property where much of the filming will take place. Photo: Chas Hundley
GREENVILLE – This week and in early April between Strohmayer/Kansas City Road and Highway 47 on Greenville Road, you may see a man bleeding as he walks down the side of the road. An ambulance and police vehicles may pull into a local driveway, and you may even catch a glimpse of someone burning a piano.
There’s no need for alarm though, though – it’s all part of a music video for The Lumineers’ upcoming album being filmed at a property on Greenville Road this week and into April.
The Lumineers are an internationally recognized folk rock band based in Denver, Colorado, with numerous international hit singles, including “Ho Hey”, “Stubborn Love”, “Ophelia” and “Cleopatra.”
While an air of secrecy surrounds the project, with casting calls removed from social media, web pages taken down and people involved with the production citing non-disclosure agreements when asked for more information, the Banks Post sought public records and used cached web pages to determine much of the information in this article. The Lumineers could not be reached for comment.
The area where filming is planned to occur. © OpenStreetMap contributors
According to a permit filed with and granted by Washington County to use the right of way on Greenville Road, filming is taking place from March 25 through April 9, largely at a property owned by Lewis Farm, Inc.
The production, by New York-based film company Neighborhood Watch Productions Inc, will use the Greenville Road right of way on three filming dates, temporarily restricting traffic while that occurs, according to the permit.
On April 1, filming will occur sometime between 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with 3-5 minute traffic holds, and on April 5 between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. with 3-5 minute traffic holds. `
On April 8, traffic may be halted for 5-10 minutes at a time between the hours of 5 a.m. and 3 p.m.
According to a casting call by Portland-based casting company Simon Max Hill Casting, the project is a series of dramatic music videos directed by Kevin Phillips following a working-class family, known as the Sparks, spanning multiple generations from 1954, 1980, and 2019. In the film and video permit submitted to Washington County, the Greenville Road property is listed as the “Sparks House” and one character is referred to as Jimmy Sparks. The videos will accompany The Lumineers’ upcoming third album.
The director has worked on Lumineer music videos before as a cinematographer, according to his IMDB page, and also directed his debut feature film, Super Dark Times, a drama thriller that was picked up by Netflix.
The Banks Post could not determine if any of The Lumineer members would be present for filming.
As for the aforementioned piano, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue public information officer Dave Nemeyer says he was contacted by a member of the production team who asked about burning a piano, scheduled for April 3 according to the film permit.
“I said it’s doable by fire code, but would need some fire safety provisions established first,” Nemeyer said in a text message to the Banks Post.
According to Nemeyer, the team plans to send him details on just what “lighting a piano on fire” meant.
The production company says that neighbors have been notified about the project, which includes a brief moment of nudity.
“Nothing of poor taste or sexual in nature from this scene… just a woman feeling the breeze against her skin in a moment of freedom,” the permit read.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.