Berkley to Get Its 15 Minutes of Fame

It's time for Berkley's close-up: Two commercials will be filmed this weekend in the city, including one that will close a portion of 12 Mile Road on Saturday morning.

Detour signs will be posted during the Quicken Loans shoot that will shut 12 Mile at Robina near the Berkley marquee from 6 a.m. to noon, Berkley Public Safety Deputy Director Robert North said. And, between noon and 4 p.m. Saturday, former customers are invited to participate in the creation of an ad for Berkley Eyewear at the shop's Coolidge Highway location.

The Quicken Loans commercial will promote the Detroit-based company's Skip A Year Sweepstakes, in which the winner will get a break on their mortgage payments, Assistant to the City Manager Darchelle Strickland Love said.

Quicken had to acquire permits from the Road Commission for Oakland County, as well as the city, because 12 Mile Road is a county road, she said. The mortgage company also had to notify the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation of the detours, according to Strickland Love.

"What we're trying to make sure is that we don't make it unnecessarily difficult to film here, but also that we're doing our due diligence to do what we need to do," she said.

Strickland Love said permits are required for all productions that use public streets. Production companies must pay Berkley $150 for a basic film permit, put down a refundable deposit of $1,000 and provide proof of insurance, according to the city's film permit application package (see attached PDF).

The Quicken commercial will show a happy person swinging around a pole near the Berkley marquee, North said.

Berkley Eyewear's ad will feature satisfied customers, who each will speak a few words at the shop, co-owner Lisa Gilbert said. The clips will be compiled together into one montage, she explained.

"I wanted it to be real, believable people," she said. "It'll be like 5 to 10 seconds of fame."

Gilbert said a tent will be set up Saturday behind Berkley Eyewear with food for the cast and crew.

"Stop in and check it out and watch it happen," she said.