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Question about doing research.

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harmonica44

For my last script, I interviewed cops to get all the procedures right, however they refused to divulge any information on their tactics. They were allowed to give out the legal rules on whether or not they would shoot someone in a so and so situation, and things like that, but they weren't allowed to divulge their SWAT tactics or defensive tactics in any way.

My current script has a lot more of the cops in the foreground compared to my last and has even more questions. I wanna get everything as realistic as possible to build the suspense. So since cops are the ones not to ask, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to perhaps hire ex-cons for information? Ones who have been in the exact situations with the cops that I would need for my story. Sounds a little out there, but since I wanna get it all right, what are your thoughts?
 
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Hmm... I don't ex cons would be the best for this. They often lack the technical terms you'd need to get a realistic feel for this.

Often times SWAT strategy is very similar to military infantry strategy and they might be more willing to offer some insight.

What are you trying to learn anyway? Specifically?
 
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well for example I have a scene where one cops has to protect two innocent people from being murdered, from at least five guys in a large park, that is surrounded by them on all sides, closing in. How exactly would they go about that? That's just one example off the top of my head since I'm currently on that scene.
 
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Why does it matter? Your audience won't know what real SWAT tactics are anyways. As long as they look and act professional your audience will buy it. EX-cons? Sounds like you're going way too deep for a FIRST attempt.

That said, how many scripts do you have and when/if are you going to make any of them into a film? Your first projects don't have to be so ambitious.
 
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harmonica44,

Find out as much as you can form those you interviewed. Most police officers will talk more openly if they know you. Same with ex-cons. Then use your imagination. Refer to other professions. Police have a lot in common with military. I have a good friend that is a (20 year) weapons expert in the military, (also was MP), now stateside, (retiring in two years). I not only get the ins and outs on weapons, also get 'hands-on' with some. Know a lot of lawyers, (from both sides of the court room), they love to talk. Look for more then one source. Try the library. Push the envelope. Good luck.
 
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I'm gonna answer your question to the best of my ability, but I have yet to see ANYthing you've done. I realize that I haven't finished my first short, but the difference is about 850 posts.

I'm military, and even though my job doesn't require me to be a hero, I work very closely with people who do. For the past six months I've been in a training squadron with a group of guys that teach other guys how to kill people. That being said, I've learned one thing; you can't possibly describe the tactics required to clear a park of hostile enemy targets because EVERY situation is different. There are however some very basic tactics in regards to dynamic movement and dynamic entry. Google it.

There's a free video on the internet (I believe it's called Dynamic Entry) that was made in the 80's, and get this... tactics haven't changed much. No I don't know the link. There's also a slough of training tips on Youtube that can be helpful. You're just going to have to do the research on your own. Focus on the movement, the communication, and the teamwork.

If you were actively filming action sequences I would be more than happy to give you some pointers, but to be honest I just don't think you will anytime soon.
 
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No I'm just at the writing stage now, but wanna get the writing of it down right as well. I have done some research and looked at some books, but they all say the what, instead of the how more so. What about movies where they use military combat advisers on set, like war movies, that try to be as realistic as they can? Do those movies actually have combat realism or are they still very fake and just make to look realistic?
 
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What about movies where they use military combat advisers on set, like war movies, that try to be as realistic as they can? Do those movies actually have combat realism or are they still very fake and just make to look realistic?
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Write the scene to the best of your ability. I promise you that whoever reads your script will not care if the SWAT team is using Green Beret hand signals or Navy Seals, and dollars to doughnuts whatever you type will change during production anyway.

If at some point you actually do film this movie, then hire a guy. If you can't hire a guy then watch movies or read books. Do whatever you want. It's your movie.

I don't understand all of your questions. Everyone on this forum has told you multiple times to just get out and film something, let us see it, and improve on it. I'm not saying you CAN'T get rich and famous off of your first feature length terrorist film... I'm just saying you WON'T.
 
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Lowxposure said:
Write the scene to the best of your ability. I promise you that whoever reads your script will not care if the SWAT team is using Green Beret hand signals or Navy Seals, and dollars to doughnuts whatever you type will change during production anyway.

If at some point you actually do film this movie, then hire a guy. If you can't hire a guy then watch movies or read books. Do whatever you want. It's your movie.

I don't understand all of your questions. Everyone on this forum has told you multiple times to just get out and film something, let us see it, and improve on it. I'm not saying you CAN'T get rich and famous off of your first feature length terrorist film... I'm just saying you WON'T.
Click to expand...

I am shooting my own stuff and practicing. I will post it, once I get the editing program, and cut it.
 
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Okay thanks. So are there any censorship laws on showing the real police tactics? My last feature script has a tone of real undercover tactics used that I researched myself. And anyone who watches the movie will know if the police are undercover and stinging him or her just cause the script is that accurate. Any censorship laws on that or anything, or could it cause a film to be banned, if it were made? I live in Canada and couldn't find any laws against it, but some of the censorship laws are vague, and open to interpretation.
 
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No, there aren't any censorship laws that I know of that would prevent cops from giving you the low down on SWAT tactics. The reason that they won't is self preservation. Cops do not want the bad guys to know what's coming. Any cop that agrees to go in depth on tactics, doesn't rely on them for his/her survival. And, police tactics are a bit different from military because the rules of engagement are different.
 
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A quick look at some main stream film and you will realize that a lot of the times, you don't need to be realistic, in fact, you shouldn't be realistic.

What needs to be believable is the premises and the story, but for most action scenes, from what i understand, people don't even hold a gun properly.

Personally, i have a little bit of martial arts training, and from what i've been taught is that most fights ends within the first 2 minutes of initial contact. And real martial arts that keeps you alive don't look good.

Ever since Shakespearean time or even before, people has understood that. That is why there's two systems of sword fighting, screen fighting, and real fighting. Why? because real sword fights don't look good. And over time, you can almost say what's real doesn't look real enough.

In die hard 4.0 (I think) there's one scene where the hacker was able to control the power station on his laptop. In order to try to kill the hero, he redirected all the power to one power station, where the hero is at, and the power over load caused the power station to explode. It is completely true that one could control the direction of power over computer, however if anyone just stop and think for a moment, you'd realize that as well as firewall, there's almost always hardware system that prevents such power overload. Worst case senario, only a few large capacitor might blow up. But while watching the suspense and the explosion, we suspend belief.

Lastly, I remember when i was very young, once we were watching TV and there was someone performing flute. One of my grandparents or uncle or someone said that it's so fake, the player is "lip-syncing" that their mouth is not even covering the hole on the mouth piece, and commenting how its really bad performance. But anyone who knows music will know that when playing the flute, you are not suppose the cover the hole on the mouth piece, you suppose to blow a stream of air over the top of the hole.

Was it because the portrail was inaccurate that caused my relative unable to enjoy the performance? by no means, but it was actually the opposite, because it was real, and my relative didn't know that, that they weren't able to enjoy the performance.

The point is, it's ok if it's not real. As long as it looks good, and it looks convincing. And sometimes, you shouldn't even try pursuing real, for financial reasons, for artistic reasons, or for the fact that one might be simply too inexperienced to even bother with the minor details.
 
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I kinda like to pursue real, for this script I have in mind. I wanna do something different and haunting and real can be haunting if done well. I agree with martial arts looking too good in movies. I was watching The Bourne Ultimatum and thought that the fights were too perfectly choreographed and felt rehearsed, since they seem to see each others moves coming too much.
 
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Isn't this level of detail too much for a script? Isn't that something left up to the director? I mean, unless a particular thing about SWAT tactics influences the story and they'd go left instead of right, I don't see how it matters.
 
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