Dark Knight starts Pittsburgh shooting Friday

PITTSBURGH -- "The Dark Knight Rises" will bring snow to sweltering Pittsburgh.

Filming begins today in Lawrenceville for the third installment of the vastly popular "Batman" series, directed by Christopher Nolan.

Filming moves to the city's Oakland section on Saturday and Sunday, and remains there Wednesday and Thursday, with a daylong shoot set for Aug. 6 at Heinz Field. Filming switches to Downtown, in the areas of Smithfield and Wood streets, Aug. 11 to 13, 17 and 18, before moving a few blocks to William Penn Place on Aug. 20.

At some point, a special effects crew will create make-believe snow, "so you at least might feel a tiny bit colder," Nolan joked Thursday at a press conference.

"I certainly won't be, stuck in that rubber suit," the film's star, Christian Bale, added when he followed Nolan to the podium at the Renaissance Hotel, across the Allegheny River from PNC Park.

Bale and Nolan apologized in advance to local residents for any disruptions or distractions "Dark Knight Rises" filming will cause.

"We will try to stay out of your hair as much as possible," said Bale, an Oscar winner earlier this year for "The Fighter."

Said Nolan: "I think we're going to do really exciting, impressive things here, and we can still leave you liking us."

The Warner Bros. film chose Pittsburgh for its vitality, experienced work crew and architecture, not to mention the state's tax credit program for movie productions.

But Nolan said spending time here on pre-production also has made him appreciate the region's friendliness.

"The architecture of this city -- it's a very beautiful city on a very impressive scale in a community that hasn't lost its human scale," Nolan said. "Those two elements, which are extremely hard to find, are incredibly valuable to a production like 'Dark Knight Rises.'"

The film's producer, Emma Thomas, said "we feel very welcome," noting how exterior windows at the Fifth Avenue Place skyscraper were specially lit up last night to recreate the Batman symbol.

Nolan, Bale and Thomas did not take questions from reporters.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato spoke at the press conference, welcoming the movie's cast and crew and encouraging them to spread the word about Pittsburgh. When Ravenstahl stepped to the microphone, he tripped on a table, though regained his composure as Bale responded with applause and a smile.

Production on the film will continue through the end of August.

The Pittsburgh Film Office website, pghfilm.org, will list daily updates on filming activity, including road closures, parking restrictions and special effects.

More than 100 films and TV projects have been shot in Pittsburgh since 1990, but landing the prestigious "Batman" franchise will shine an international spotlight on the region, film office director Dawn Keezer said.

"It's going to put all of us on the map," Keezer said.

Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Morgan Freeman also will appear in the film, which is scheduled for release in July 2012.