"As a location assistant for Paramount Pictures' /www.dreamworksfansite.com/waroftheworlds/>War of the Worlds, Andrew Saxe had to find a place that represented New England's industrial side.

When he came across Naugatuck, he thought he had just the right backdrop for a scene in the $128 million blockbuster about a Martian invasion, set for worldwide release next summer.

But what sealed the deal?

Steven liked it, Saxe said from his office in New York, before correcting himself. Mr. Spielberg liked it.

Saxe said scouts took about a month looking for locations, searching between north of Bridgeport and Springfield, Mass., before deciding on the borough.

Pictures of Naugatuck, and the largely empty former Uniroyal Chemical plant on the Naugatuck River caught the Oscar-winning director's attention, Saxe said.

He liked the true New England feel it represented, he said. It's very picturesque.

Spielberg, star Tom Cruise and other members of the film's cast and crew are scheduled to shoot on Thursday and Friday on the plant, owned by Middlebury-based Crompton Corp. The dates are not firm, Saxe said, since anything could happen on the current set in Bayonne, N.Y.

Saxe -- who worked as location manager for Mr. Deeds, the 2002 Adam Sandler vehicle filmed partially in New Milford -- said the location offered the privacy of a closed set with a diverse landscape.

We're focusing on the power plant building and the smokestacks, he said, adding that the shots will all be of exteriors.

Pyrotechnics are planned, but Naugatuck Deputy Fire Chief and Fire Marshal Charles Doback Jr. said they are likely to be smoke effects, and that he doesn't expect there to be any explosions or demolition of buildings.

Deciding to film in New England in December is a gamble when it comes to weather, but Saxe said he did not know what will happen if Thursday or Friday is rainy or snowy.

I'm not sure what Plan B is, he said. ""I think the fact that we're in a contained facility should give us an increased degree of control. It's a daylight shot, so we're restricted by the sun. Because we're in the valley, even more so.""

Saxe said the mayor's office in Naugatuck has been helpful, as has the Crompton staff.

We've gotten nothing but a positive reception, Saxe said. We've had cooperation and assistance with every aspect.

Source: /www.rep-am.com/"">Republican-American "