City Permission or Permits

PwnyBoy

PwnyBoy

Hey guys. I'm about to start making my first action short film. There are a couple things that I will be doing in which I might need city permission (or a permit):

!. I will be using real-looking fake guns (I will probably get airsoft guns and paint over the orange tips so they look real). Do I need city permission to do that? If so, how do I get it?

2. I also might attempt to film a car chase sequence. Would I need city permission (or a permit) to do that, or could I just film on an empty road that nobody uses? If I need permission, how do I get it?
 
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I'm no expert, but you can't just walk in the city with painted over airsoft guns if the town says its "ok". You're probably going to have to hire a cop or something to assure the general public that there isn't any type of terrorist situation
 
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PwnyBoy said:
Hey guys. I'm about to start making my first action short film. There are a couple things that I will be doing in which I might need city permission (or a permit):

!. I will be using real-looking fake guns (I will probably get airsoft guns and paint over the orange tips so they look real). Do I need city permission/permit to do that? If so, how do I get it?

2. I also might attempt to film a car chase sequence. Would I need city permission (or a permit) to do that, or could I just film on an empty road that nobody uses? If I need permission, how do I get it?
Click to expand...

ABSOLUTELY GET PERMISSION!!!!
Sorry about the all caps but you do need to get permission. Can you imagine if an accident happened?
The way I always found out who to talk to was either go to City Hall.

Claudia
 
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Small towns are a better bet than cities as well. I recently got permission to shoot on public sidewalks for my new film from a small town about half an hour away from Nashville. Emailed the Mayor's office, they referred me to the public safety guy, I gave him a detailed plan of what I was doing including exact locations down to the fraction of a city block. Because we weren't blocking any streets we didn't even have to get a permit or provide proof of insurance. Also, because I approached them in a very professional manner they were very nice and helpful.
 
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I will be using real-looking fake guns
Click to expand...
I know a true story about a film shoot in which they shot a scene on some street with fake guns. At one point the cops showed up with their guns drawn. Fortunately nobody got shot, but needless to say the shoot got shut down.
 
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In the state of Nevada, you're supposed to get a permit to film, all they do is check for insurance, it's free. For the guns you go down to the City Police, or Sheriff, and show them the permit. Make sure to clarify dates or you might have a misunderstanding and end up having an actual gun in your face.
 
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The big question is "how much money do you have to spend"?
Permits are nice...and free...but you will need to buy
liability insurance to get your permit, which will cost many thousands of dollars.

If you can find a rural road...one with little or NO traffic...you can pretty
much do what you want.

As for the guns, it is against the law in most states to "tape over" the pink
plastic on the tip, so you want to keep a very low profile.
 
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Get permissions/permits. Probably not a bad idea to come up with the cash to pay an off-duty UNIFORMED police officer to be at your site. Also, a phone call to the police department, itself, to let them know what you're doing, is only a phone call away.:)
 
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Put me too in the "get permission" camp, even if you don't think you need it, it's always nice that handy hard copy JUST in case someone asks questions :)

In a short film I did of being in library and the park, I got permissions from library and city hall-both were free, they just wanted to know what's going on (and seeing as my character wear masks walking around in public, it's a good idea anyway ;) )
 
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Blade_Jones said:
I know a true story about a film shoot in which they shot a scene on some street with fake guns. At one point the cops showed up with their guns drawn. Fortunately nobody got shot, but needless to say the shoot got shut down.
Click to expand...
That happened to me.

And my DP had his head in the right place and started rolling
film as soon as he heard, "This is the Santa Barbara police!
Drop your weapons and drop to the ground hands in front of
you!"

It was damn scary.
 
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