"The Pitt," "Hershey," "Mayor of Kingstown," and "How to Rob a Bank" are just some of the movies and TV shows that have been filmed in and around the Pittsburgh region this year.

These big productions mean big dollars, especially for small communities.

On Tuesday in Vandergrift, the town was seemingly going about its everyday business. But there are already a few indicators that come Friday morning, it will be lights, camera, action in the little river community, as the next Apple TV+ series "Parallax," gets ready to film here for the day.

The show has been billed as a psychological thriller about a serial killer, and it stars Liev Schreiber, Stephen Graham and Zazie Beetz.

Vandergrift Borough Council President Tom Holmes says that it has been about 10 years since a production has been here, and they are happy to have the "Parallax" team coming to town.

"It is an important thing, it helps the economy of the small businesses in town, they shop and eat at our local restaurants, and it helps all the way around. The VFW, it helps them, they use their building and places in town, and it gives them a little extra income."

Not only do places like Vandergrift see a windfall from movie and TV productions, but several Pittsburgh communities do. 

According to the Pittsburgh Film Office, over 250 film and TV shows have been shot in our region since 1995, and the money they have generated in the region is upwards of $2.5 billion.

The reason the producers like to work here is because of the robust film tax credit.

"The Pennsylvania Film Tax Credit program is a vital part of western Pennsylvania's diverse economy, supporting a vibrant industry that employs thousands of local union members," Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, said in a recent report on the film industry.

Many of those local union members will be in Vandergrift this week, getting ready to shoot this show that is supposedly a crime thriller about a serial killer who's on the loose.

The borough wants everyone to be aware that there will be some sporadic street closures while filming is happening, and they are asking people to obey the parking restriction signs in certain areas.

Most of the filming will center around in and around the Casino Theatre, and community leaders are hopeful that if things go well, this or another production will come back soon.

"We have been told by this production company, when they talk about filming in a location for western Pennsylvania, that Vandergrift always comes to mind because we have this special Olmsted community that we live in, and they said they like to use the setting in this town," Holmes said.