For some reason, the area around my apartment building has become a hot spot for movie filming. I think it started with The Dark Knight a few years back, and now it seems like there’s film crew vehicles on my block for several weeks each summer.

Normally, this isn’t a big deal. But this year, the latest film production — some sort of Superman sequel or prequel or whatever — ended up shutting down the entire block near me and making a huge amount of noise all day long. Our building management even emailed everyone to tell us that the front entrance area would be closed to vehicle traffic. I don’t have a car, but I’m sure that’s a big hassle for folks that do.

Despite limiting or totally blocking access to my building and others, and blaring directions into a megaphone at ridiculous volume levels, I’ve never heard a thing about what these film productions have done for the people who live or work nearby. Sure, it creates some short-term positions for the film crews and brings a little bit of revenue to the businesses nearby. But the impact on the people who live and work in the area is apparently being ignored.

I’m not proposing that the director send a personalized thank you note to the thousand-plus people in my building. But it would be nice if they provided some sort of token of their appreciation. For instance, maybe they could sponsor some coffee or snacks in our lobby before filming begins, or schedule a meet-and-greet with selected members of the crew. It doesn’t have to be much, but even a small gesture would help show that the film producers recognize their impact on the surrounding community, and aren’t above saying thank you to the folks who live there.