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L.A. Shoot. Do I need a Permit

P

Paul Harding

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May have to go to L.A. in March do some filming. Do you require a permit to film on the street?


Paul

UK
 
Lucas Wilson said:
Well, if you're doing POV man-on-the-street interviews, no. If you're shutting down a lane of traffic and making it rain, yes. : )

More details?

Lucas
Click to expand...

On the street interviews. Any contact details of where to get a permit?

Paul
 
Ah, the old "3 person crew" is an oft-repeated myth, but I have yet to find any jurisdiction that officially has any such exception. If anyone can actually point out one, please share it here.

If you want to film anything in L.A. you'll want to contact http://www.filmla.com/ the nonprofit group that contracts with the city and the county to handle film permits.
 
getting permits in Los Angeles are ridiculously expensive. to ask the question alone wether or not you need a permit is not really helping us find a correct answer either.

there are a thousand different scenarios you can pull off in LA, without a permit, with a
crew around 3 people. however, it needs to be the right place at the right time.

if your scenario calls for many resources, then you're probably gonna have a hard time
explaining yourself to the cops when they stop you for a ticket. and believe me, they've heard it all!

my suggestion, find a local photographer who can assist you in locations; if you choose not to get a permit. if there good, they should know the lay of the land, and when the best time of day is. good luck.
 
My experience...its amazing you can get away with, with a camera and Tripod etc... and barely anyone pays attention. Its the boom mic that grabs attention. Its weird.

My opinion, unless you are actually causing a disturbance even a minor one, why would you require a permit. I think its ridiculous. Police don't like things that attract attention, I understand that. People rubbernecking as they drive by etc...
 
Wow,

I guess I'm unlucky then, I've been regularly hassled even with a permit in LA, and in my experience there is so much production in LA that the cops are on top of the fact that you need a permit.

I've been shut down with just me a gaffer and one actor, so I stay on private property or get permits through film LA.

I guess this is a "your mileage may vary" situation, but if you need the shot, and can't reschedule, I'd advise doing it within the system.

Steve
 
Tim Hole said:
My experience...its amazing you can get away with, with a camera and Tripod etc... and barely anyone pays attention. Its the boom mic that grabs attention. Its weird.

My opinion, unless you are actually causing a disturbance even a minor one, why would you require a permit. I think its ridiculous. Police don't like things that attract attention, I understand that. People rubbernecking as they drive by etc...
Click to expand...

Is that your experience in LA?

Because the authorities are sort of fanatical about permits in LA, NYC and Washington DC.

In LA and NYC its about money- there are entities that want to be paid. You can scrape by with a small crew that can move quickly- but it isn't legal.

Your best bet is to run completely unlit and without any boom mics- use wireless. You really need a completely minimal crew- ideally just the camera operator. You also need luck.

People are used to seeing lots of filming in those cities, and will mostly just ignore you, but if you attract attention you'll get shut down.

Furthermore not getting a permit can make getting rights and clearances down the line harder. I've been on one show where we had to reshoot a segment because of permit questions.

I've heard stories- always a friend of a friend sort of hearsay- that people sometimes get their gear seized. The story usually ends with them getting their gear back, but completely blowing the schedule.

In D.C. its about security. There are so many sensitive military and government sites near here that you can readily be shooting something that you are REALLY not supposed to photograph. Then there are the usual security types who for various reasons think they can stop normal legal photography. Even with a permit those sorts can be a huge PITA.

Also, you do not want to have any shooting involving "guns" or violence in the D.C. metro area without pre-arranged police involvement. Seriously- not even a phaser from Star Trek or other easily recognized prop or toy. Technically its 100% legal in MD and VA, but I've been filming and found myself with a helicopter overwatch while SWAT rolled in. I'm not exaggerating.
 
Stephen Lovett said:
Wow,

I guess I'm unlucky then, I've been regularly hassled even with a permit in LA, and in my experience there is so much production in LA that the cops are on top of the fact that you need a permit.

I've been shut down with just me a gaffer and one actor, so I stay on private property or get permits through film LA.

I guess this is a "your mileage may vary" situation, but if you need the shot, and can't reschedule, I'd advise doing it within the system.

Steve
Click to expand...

The gaffer I'm guessing. Some bounce or a little light I'm guessing?

Anything that might look "professional" to a bored cop will get you noticed.

Still... you give the the best advice: deal with the BS and get your permits.

If you aren't local, hire a local producer to deal with all the permitting for you. Someone who "they" recognize can get things done quicker and easier.
 
Alexander Ibrahim said:
Is that your experience in LA?
Click to expand...

No. LA is not the norm. But that's the mentality of LA and New York I guess. Most cities in the world require permits but I have got away with quite a lot. I've shot dozens of major cities around the world and got away with it 90% of the time. Apart from one incident in Sydney and London can be a pain in ass. I think the problem is that if they see a boom mic they think its the news and it makes people wary and draws attention. LA is neck high in film and television its a different ball game altogether.

Like you were saying it really depends on what you are shooting and how you appear to passersby/police. If you need it, suck it up and get a permit.
 
Depends on what camera you're using. If it's smaller and doesn't look like a cinema camera, you're a bit better off in not attracting attention. But even that doesn't always work. I've gone through downtown on some photography meetups and have been chased away by security who have nothing better to do than watch monitors. I hear that sort of thing started getting particularly bad after 9/11. Typically it's OK as long as you don't have a tripod. Try a shoulder mount or video monopod.
 
Bring a spotter. Sundays have less state workers out. look like tourist. Have a cover story " I'm just shooting some home video for uncle joe back home, he ain't got the money to fly out to Calyfornya officer "

of course that story won't work if your running some dolly track down the sidewalk...

The nice thing about getting permits is you can have the sidewalk and parking spots in front of your location closed off to the public Vs having hundreds of people walk by your actors.

I've done it both ways and not having permits adds a stress level to the shoot that I'm not a fan of...
 
I think the price of permits is ridiculous.. If California wants to boost its permit income, they need to make it more affordable to the indie film maker.. cheaper rates = more people actually applying for permits..

I would love the benefit of getting a permit.. if it was affordable.

otherwise.. myself and alot of people will continue to just wing it.. and hope they can get the shot before the cops get there..
 
Yeah good luck shooting for more than 5 seconds on most publicly visible L.A. County streets with anything more than a DSLR and your hands. Whip out a tripod or anything more professional looking and you'll be hassled for a permit almost immediately. It's Show-Business...

Noah
 
Security will almost always harass you if you're on private property. They will often do this even if you have very little gear.

As for the permits - I've shot plenty without them, and usually it's fine, although sometimes you do get shut down, especially if you're in one place for a long time, or shooting airplanes landing at the airport with an old arri-s that looks kind of like a missile launcher.

What I would say is, if you're doing something where it doesn't hurt you to move on if you're told to then don't worry about the permits.

If, however, there's money and limited time involved it's probably better to be safe and get the permit.

------------------
Mathew Rudenberg
 
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