Filming scene w/ guns without permit

I believe Ryan Connolly said one of his early shoots had the cops called on them because someone saw them toting guns around and they stepped outside to have officers pointing guns at them... ya gotta use your head! These guys are really lucky it didn't get ugly.
 
Damn foolish filming team.

An IT member involved the cops, had them on-set yet had an assault team blaze in after someone called the police (after driving past their 'set')...

...Luckily the assault team and police recognized each other so all ended well

Imagine what could have happened if the IT member had not had the police on-set
 
Last edited:
This story is a prime example of why the city issues permits to shoot. It doesn't help that permits are like $900 for shoots large and small. Still these guys should have traveled up to Lancaster to shoot if they couldn't afford LA prices for permits.
 
This story is a prime example of why the city issues permits to shoot. It doesn't help that permits are like $900 for shoots large and small. Still these guys should have traveled up to Lancaster to shoot if they couldn't afford LA prices for permits.

True but with the permits you also need the liability insurance (often $5m) which is more $$$$

...but what they did was crazy. They needed the permits, the insurance and to pay for police to be on-set

They're lucky they're not dead and the director, producer sued etc
 
Every day that I live reinforces my long held belief that the intelligence is being bred out of the human race at an alarming rate. Several Darwin Award candidates in that bunch.
 
Back in 2000, a guy was shot and killed at a Halloween party when LAPD showed up and he (thinking they were party guests) pointed a prop gun at them.
As for filming in Lancaster, hen you add up all the costs, a permit to film in Lancaster is around $350, and what was once a nice city (when I lived there) has turned into the north county shithole. Santa Clarita has a reduced fee zone for only $140 and is VERY film friendly. For those not from Los Angeles, Santa Clarita is immediately north of the San Fernando Valley and home of Six Flags Magic Mountain.

http://www.filmsantaclarita.com/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...y-actor-with-toy-gun-shot-dead-by-police.html
 
Every day that I live reinforces my long held belief that the intelligence is being bred out of the human race at an alarming rate. Several Darwin Award candidates in that bunch.

Not necessarily. 20 years ago I was one of that bunch - surrounded by a dozen cops with guns drawn while filming - and I'm a friggin' genius. Intelligence is frequently no match for youthful exuberance.
 
nothing dumb happened here, these guys had no money but wanted the shot, they nearly paid the price but thats what filmmaking is all about, taking big risks for those shots that could be the money shot.
 
nothing dumb happened here, these guys had no money but wanted the shot, they nearly paid the price but thats what filmmaking is all about, taking big risks for those shots that could be the money shot.

I shall consider being riddled with a few hundred rounds of police gunfire to be merely "taking one for the team", from this point forward. :abduct:
 
That's strange, I did something similar recently, but I used a BB gun, it was in the woods, and I made sure the gun wasn't visible until I was there. Also, it helps that damn near everyone in my town is packing...
 
nothing dumb happened here, these guys had no money but wanted the shot, they nearly paid the price but thats what filmmaking is all about, taking big risks for those shots that could be the money shot.

Tell me you're joking please.

What they did was very stupid. Some gun-carrying civilian could have even shot them thinking it was a robbery. At least the cops typically warn first before shooting.

As filmmakers we have a duty to our talent and crew too. Putting them in danger like this very much broke that rule in my book.
 
Clearly unwise and unfortunate and dangerous. But I don't want to get on the bandwagon and bash the young IDOM, for instance, and tell him how stupid he is/was. I have sympathy for the guerilla filmmakers who want to do it but permit costs etc are going to blowout their ramen noodles budget. Not condoning it. Don't try that at home, for God's sake. Lesson learned, I guess. That sort of thing is not worth anyone's shoestring budget short film. Guess you just got to inform the police beforehand if you're going to attempt such a thing. And if you can't afford that, then forget it. Or build a convenience store set on your friend's back forty and do it in privacy and seclusion?

Not quite the same, but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QjhE93wOAA

=)
 
Tell me you're joking please.

What they did was very stupid. Some gun-carrying civilian could have even shot them thinking it was a robbery. At least the cops typically warn first before shooting.

As filmmakers we have a duty to our talent and crew too. Putting them in danger like this very much broke that rule in my book.

In England we don't possess real guns as an everyday norm hence we have more safety when it comes to accidents obvs there will be one incident in many but only the police do something about it.

If I require my actor to do something risky then that's what they signed up for in my opinion, if they don't agree then that's their problem they're off the film.

But before that point they would have read the script and agreed to it ...
 
Back
Top