Opps Video.. Next time try not to get in his way

SurJones

SurJones

Veteran
I went out today/tonight and filmed for about 2 hours practising my handheld. Not that good still :( But that is what practice is for. Anyways I only shot about 110 clips total of 8gigs wroth of footy. No Idea what I am going to do with it, but I thought I would give you a sample of a run in. 99% are nice and sometimes you just get the 1% mean.
click here PLEASE RIGHT CLICK and D-load
 
Last edited:
Ha ha, I wish I could get my revenge on every cop or security guard that kicked me off of property and took my video tapes.... When I was in high school I was a guerilla filmmaker (permits? Ha, I didn't know what those were) I have been chased out of every mall, store, and hospital in ohio. I was even yelled at for being in downtown Cleveland on the sidewalk with a bank in the distant background. Apparently I was not allowed to have a video of people walking in and out of a bank many yards away behind my interview..... *sigh*

But I always had a plan. If stopped, I would hand my camera to my partner and then walk away to talk to the guard. Meanwhile he would switch out the tape for a blank as quickly as possible. Many times those cocky security guards who like to throw thier power around walked away with a brand new minidv tape! Ha ha suckers.
 
Great post Prodigy. My buddy and I have been joking about putting a blank mini-dv tape in our HVX while we shoot P2 and handing the tape over to some smug security gaurd and faking like he just ruined our day, though we had just what we wanted, but here in San Francisco they get you before you set up.
 
Seriously, there is only one way to do the guerilla thing:

DECOY DECOY DECOY.

If you know you are going to be shooting for 10 minutes someplace, you have an accomplice stage a very visible, very loud diversion far enough away to be out of sight, but close enough to be sure to draw all the locals on patrol.

Usually, the best non-arrestable diversion is a flailing insulin shock (diabetic) Be sure to knock over a nice big display stand of nonbreakable stuff for maximum effect. They won't arrest him, and he can refuse "treatment" when he comes to and "eats some sugar".
 
First of all THEY CANT TAKE YOUR TAPE. Talk to a lawyer. second. My decoy idea about the blank tape in might save some trouble, but if it is a Rent A cop, tell him to Call the police, and then leave. They cant detain you, unless you broke a law in or on their premises. I worked for a small TV station, and we alway filmed some building or people, and cars, and aiplanes, and no issues. They said the people who are ignorant of the laws need to be shown our PRESS power and so we were to have the laws printed on paper. I never had any run-ins. but there is no need to go the guerrilla way, You cant do it in business, and you cant do it in motion picture, or high indy film movies. YellowStone if I am right is charging a filming fee. if it is like 50 bucks, and you make that off of selling 20 seconds of that, then you have WAY more money to make. No your laws. :)
 
you are allowed to shoot anything you want if your in public space. you don't have to be a member of the media to get that privledge. and yes that includes cops at a crime scene, as long as you are behind the crime scene tape if they have any up/
 
I was told once you have sticks then it's a problem. I was also told they (they being the cops) would take your camera... Now I doubt insurance will cover that... SO I am really careful being seen.
 
no, they can't take your camera. thats a violation of the first admendment. and if they do, lawsuit.

Sticks can be a problem in some areas. like in Washington DC. And maybe downtown NYC on the sidewalk. But not usually.
 
the "no sticks" rule is more of a guideline. basically if you are not using them, you won't get harrassed most of the time. you can use them and as long as you are not shooting a commercial video you don't need a permit most times. contact someone at your local film commission and ask. i have been approached by cops on public property before. sometimes sticks, sometimes not, once while using a jib. i tell them it's a hobby and they leave me alone. just keep your crew small and make sure everyone is on the same page when the cops start asking questions. also, i agree with the other guy. rent-a-cops would never talk me out of a tape. they have no right.
 
Just be careful about Reservations. with there "Sovern nation" thing our rules don't apply.

a Friend of mine shot some Native American workers trering down a feris wheel ... they said something to him about it..he might have said some cross word back...and then they ran affter him he jumped in his car and he thought he got away...he doesn't know how they did it but when he got to his house there was police waiting for him and demanded the tape...which was funny because he was shooting with a PD 150 Pal version and they had no way of playing the footage so in the end with no evidence that he shot anything, he got his tape back...

well thats the story he told me...

VP
 
SurJones, do you happen to recall what settings you use in those kind of twilight conditions? I always seem to have my HVX set for maximum grain once the sun goes in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top