I was just wondering if anyone has experiance filming micro-budgets in hospitals? was it hard to obtain permission to film in hospital, how about ability to film in ER, ER waiting room, ICU room? ability to receive permission to use hospital machines during filming if not filming long and machines are not being needed at that moment?
any experience filming in hospitals?
- Thread starter LittleEarthquakes
- Start date
For my last feature, I needed both an exterior dialog scene and an interior hospital room scene. I asked the local hospital, who basically told me to go take a hike. I think they were probably concerned about client privacy issues, etc.
So, for the exterior, I set up the camera on the street in front of the hospital, placed the actors on the sidewalk across the street and shot with a telephoto lens toward the building (to make it appear closer) with the EMERGENCY entrance sign in the background. They weren't too happy about it, but - as we were not on hospital property - they couldn't stop us (we had permission from the city to shoot on the streets).
For the interior, I arranged with a local college to use the training lab of their nursing department. It had hospital beds, gowns, IV racks, machines that go "ping"...everything we needed.
As far as the waiting room, I should think any waiting room would do. A little set dressing goes a long way.
You might have better luck getting the real McCoy; but, if not, the above worked for me.
So, for the exterior, I set up the camera on the street in front of the hospital, placed the actors on the sidewalk across the street and shot with a telephoto lens toward the building (to make it appear closer) with the EMERGENCY entrance sign in the background. They weren't too happy about it, but - as we were not on hospital property - they couldn't stop us (we had permission from the city to shoot on the streets).
For the interior, I arranged with a local college to use the training lab of their nursing department. It had hospital beds, gowns, IV racks, machines that go "ping"...everything we needed.
As far as the waiting room, I should think any waiting room would do. A little set dressing goes a long way.
You might have better luck getting the real McCoy; but, if not, the above worked for me.
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knightly and I were fortunate to get access to a closed down hospital when we shot Death Bed. The building had been transitioned into an old folks home, and one wing was completely vacant -- yet still filled with beds, wheel chairs, etc..
thank you both for the ideas...these ideas will be quite helpful when I get ready to start this project.
Agreed.. that was the most nerve-racking sleep I've ever had -- more so than when I was in the Marine Corps..
I heard "people" walking and talking in the hall the whole time.