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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

a longshot: Any advice street shooting in India ?

Les Dittert

Les Dittert

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I am planning a trip to North India and am looking for any tips on shooting there on the street, so to speak.
I've been there twice before, but not with a movie camera getup.

I've read that they ban tripods at many sites, and that the recent terrorist activities used film production crew covers for when they were planning the attack, making them wary of tripods, etc.

I wonder if I would get stopped or hassled with a glide-cam or vest setup ( it's not a tripod ! ) ?
I plan to bring a rig that fits entirely in a backpack, for the most part. Run and gun, no crew.

Any advice is appreciated!
 
My feature film had a scene in Mumbai, India at a famous tourist spot. The cops gave a lot of trouble for using tripod, so we had to shoot all hand held and cops didn't care. A vest will definitely draw attention. They are basically looking for bribes, they asked us $200 and we didn't pay, just switched to hand held..

You should be able to shoot with your RED hand held. But vest or tripod might not work. You can always take the vest with you and try, switch to handheld if you get stopped..

Make sure your camera gear is fully insured for a trip like to India..

Good Luck.
 
Thanks Ayan,
I'm thinking the cops likely were told not to allow tripods, so maybe a vest / lightweight arm might 'fly under their radar' . Or they might see it as a 'pro' camera, another thing on the 'banned' list.
 
Make sure you have a good local fixer an prepared to get mobbed. Indians really like to look into and smile at the camera, like a lot of people do but the thing about shooting on the street in India is that there are lots and lots and lots of people, and all of them want to look into the camera, and gather around you. That was a big problem for us. Maybe if you are on the move all the time you can get away from it, but it is tough. We tried shooting from hidden spots and shooting from a jib and a variety of other tricks, but staying out of sight seemed to be the best trick.
Also schedule keeping in mind that you will probably lose days from sickness.

Good luck. It's a great place but tough to shoot in.
 
Like Rob said, get a local fixer or a Line Producer... He'll take care of the authorities, cops, bribes, etc.
An experienced line producer could surprise you in a good way... from getting you permission to shoot in public places to getting you police protection, if required.

Yes, people here love to look into the camera & more so if its a foreign crew :) Not much in major cities but its quiet a pain in smaller towns...

Insurance is a must! Keep your eyes open & make new friends but be alert.

Have a great time... Cheers ~
 
There will be lot of curious people crowding around to see a shoot. In childhood days I remember big crowds watching movie shooting. A few days back I was shooting with a C300 with a mic on top, without any tripod. Still there were people who wanted to stand by the side of the person I was interviewing for a live event. You can get away with a vest in many places. Try your luck. I would suggest plan your shots and be quick. Except for major cities in North like Delhi and NCR region and some sensitive spots in a few state capitals, you can always shoot easily. A local person is always a big help as he can tell you how much more you can push the boundaries. :)
 
Jeetu Chawla said:
Like Rob said, get a local fixer or a Line Producer... He'll take care of the authorities, cops, bribes, etc.
An experienced line producer could surprise you in a good way... from getting you permission to shoot in public places to getting you police protection, if required.

Yes, people here love to look into the camera & more so if its a foreign crew :) Not much in major cities but its quiet a pain in smaller towns...

Insurance is a must! Keep your eyes open & make new friends but be alert.

Have a great time... Cheers ~
Click to expand...

+1.
 
Sabyasachi Patra said:
There will be lot of curious people crowding around to see a shoot. In childhood days I remember big crowds watching movie shooting. A few days back I was shooting with a C300 with a mic on top, without any tripod. Still there were people who wanted to stand by the side of the person I was interviewing for a live event. You can get away with a vest in many places. Try your luck. I would suggest plan your shots and be quick. Except for major cities in North like Delhi and NCR region and some sensitive spots in a few state capitals, you can always shoot easily. A local person is always a big help as he can tell you how much more you can push the boundaries. :)
Click to expand...

+1.
 
Thanks Guys.

I'm thinking that the camera in it's backpack will need to be with me at all times. So, after a long day shooting, rest in hotel room, and back down for dinner with the ball and chain camera backpack by my side!
 
Les Dittert said:
Thanks Guys.

I'm thinking that the camera in it's backpack will need to be with me at all times. So, after a long day shooting, rest in hotel room, and back down for dinner with the ball and chain camera backpack by my side!
Click to expand...

Of course! don't assume your gear is safe n secure bcuz its in ur hotel room when you are dining.. as a foreigner, you will stick out more too, better to be more cautious than sorry..
 
+1 on the fixer. I shot a TV pilot in Ladakh (as far North as you can get) and we had almost no trouble at all - one sequence took place on a military base, and one of the Indian operators had to shoot it because they wouldn't let me on the premises; otherwise things went very smoothly. Never had an issue with the gear, and we went through probably 50-75 checkpoints. Our total crew was two Americans (myself and one talent) and five Indians (two producers, one talent, two crew) plus two local drivers. We hired a pair of SUVs from a local trekking company, and that let us go everywhere without arousing suspicion. I would recommend the same, even if it's just one vehicle for a smaller crew.
 
I've worked on 4 films in india and have always relied on my good friend Jasbir to figure everything out. His contact is:

Jasbir Singh Sawhney
Owner, Wonderland India
New Delhi Area, IndiaMedia Production

mailto: wonderlandindia (at) gmail.com
 
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