Any suggestions on getting a mall to let me film inside at a Santa Claus display? 
Filming inside of a Mall
- Thread starter Michael Rogers
- Start date
Ask.Any suggestions on getting a mall to let me film inside at a Santa Claus display?
Tell them exactly how many cast and crew you will have
with you and exactly how long you will be in the mall.
Without insurance, you'll probably get a NO!
Guerrilla it. Pretend you're filming your kids, then quickly steal the footage you need. Scout in advance.
Guerrilla it. Pretend you're filming your kids, then quickly steal the footage you need. Scout in advance.
It's always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.....
In all seriousness, though... As long as you aren't too obnoxious with a large crew and a big ordeal of equipment, I'd just go for it, if they kick you out, that's the worst they can do. I regularly film scenes at an outdoor mall near my home with my T3i and a boom guy. We had one security guard incident, and he backed off and we said it was a "student project", because we weren't disturbing anyone. I've been asked to leave a bunch of public places, though. You just graciously apologize and leave.... As long as you aren't booking it through the mall with a 20 person crew and props haha..
"Don't fear the Rent-A-Cops, They Have Plastic Badges and the Worst They Can Do is Ask Us to Go" - Wise Words From One of My Cameramen One Day....
I turned a camera on in a mall once with a buddy and a mall-cop saw us and immediately told us to stop.
Another more recent time I shot a kids' performance at a mall (along with every single parent with a smartphone) and nobody said anything. Didn't even ask me if I was supposed to be there or not.
Ask for sure. Especially if you need to be up/in/on the display. if they say no ask to speak to someone else (boss, coworker, etc) that might say yes!
Another more recent time I shot a kids' performance at a mall (along with every single parent with a smartphone) and nobody said anything. Didn't even ask me if I was supposed to be there or not.
Ask for sure. Especially if you need to be up/in/on the display. if they say no ask to speak to someone else (boss, coworker, etc) that might say yes!
Unless it's a major chain shopping centre (ie a Westfield type thing) they'll often let you use it. Sometimes if they're a large corporation they might charge you as they'd be used to higher budget productions using it, but you may want to explain that you are a low budget production. You will likely need public liability insurance either way though.
A local mall will be much more ready to allow you to film, especially if you're a low budget with little equipment and will only be there for a few hours - the bigger malls that have had high budget productions come through think trucks of gear, huge lighting setups and 4 cameras when they hear 'film production'.
A local mall will be much more ready to allow you to film, especially if you're a low budget with little equipment and will only be there for a few hours - the bigger malls that have had high budget productions come through think trucks of gear, huge lighting setups and 4 cameras when they hear 'film production'.
It's interesting to note that in many cased the window displays of stores
are protected. They don't want their specific use of window space copied.
Not always, but I know that this is one reason why filming inside a mall
is often stopped. And there is the "image" issue - people enter a mall with
an written sense that their image will not be used in a movie - commercial
or otherwise. The mall itself can be sued if (as an example) a parent sees
their child in the background of a short film. Not likely, right? And the
mall may win with no damages paid - but it's still a liability they take on.
And in most states if you were to sneak into a mall, shoot some video and
slip and fall the mall would face harsher finds and insurance rates for allowing
"commercial" videography without getting the proper releases signed. It's
crazy stupid, but it's something mall owners deal with. And... if someone
was to get hurt because they were distracted watch you filming, they can
sue. Also crazy stupid and very, very unlikely.
But I am an advocate for keeping all shoots as professional as possible and
treating others (including property owners) with respect. And I have found
when I do I am often granted permission and access.
Any suggestions on getting a mall to let me film inside at a Santa Claus display?
My very first short film had a superhero scene in a mall. I researched for days on mall investors. I finally found a mall investor who also happened to invest in indie movies. I called the mall marketing director and they gave us an entire wing of the mall, roped off with security for free. We made sure we were on time, professional and out the doors when we said we would be.
Best of luck