A film crew from Animal Studios sets up a long shot of East Ohio Street. (Photo/Kelly Thomas)

On Jan. 7, Animal Studios, a local film company, set up cameras and equipment along East Ohio Street in Historic Deutschtown to film a new commercial for the Pennsylvania Lottery.

Crew members tried to get people on the streets to toss around a giant blow up beach ball, but the freezing temperatures and falling snow kept most Northsiders inside. 

Animal Studios crew members blow newspapers across Moravian Street for a new Pa. Lottery commercial.  The competing Pittsburgh winds made it difficult to get the newspapers to stay in the air long enough to make it across the alleyway. (Photo/Kelly Thomas)

The crews mostly remained out of the way of traffic and pedestrians, and only had the alley facing Bistro-to-Go blocked off.  And, as an added bonus, they cleaned much of the snow and slush off of the sidewalks, at least making it easier to traverse.

Gus the groundhog was missing in action, but considering groundhogs’ dislike of winter, no one was surprised.