filming abroad

L

Lithos

Active member
Does anyone know of a good website with info for filming overseas? Legalities, safety issues... mostly legalities. I've only filmed in Canada (some in the US), and I'll be filming in Peru for a couple of weeks in Dec, if everything pans out. I'm just wondering if legal permissions vary by country.
It's a short doc, so I'm basically wondering, do I need every person to sign a release and do they need to be compensated in some way? It may be the same across the board, but if things are different in other countries I'd like to find out.. especially since I hope to do more in other areas of the world.
 
On working overseas

On working overseas

I've worked as a photojournalist in more than three dozen countries, so I have a little bit of experience in this.

While every country is different and has it's own laws, generally speaking you usually have to do two things to work there as a journalist -- which is what most countries would consider a documentary filmmaker.

The first is a media visa, typically handled through the country's ministry of information. Depending on which country you're going to, this can something as simple handing over the right paper at the airport to a weeks'-, if not month's-long descent in bureaucratic hell. So, best to begin as early as possible.


The second thing you'll usually have to do get credentialed at one or more of the local ministries. For example, if you're going to go cover the Israeli side of the war in Lebannon, you'd need credentials from the IDF, their verison of our Defense Department. If you want to film a scuba diving documentary in the Red Sea in Egypt, you'll have to work through the ministry of interior and, most likely, the ministry of tourism.

The best way to find out exactly what you need is to call the local U.S. embassy in the country you're going to and ask to speak to their public affairs office. They'll at least be able to get you started and give you good points of contact at the various ministries.

Your other option is to go in with a simple tourist's visa and keep your shooting low profile. The DVX is just on the fringe of what might be mistaken for consumer camcorder, but in many countries local officials can get very testy, very quickly with anyone toting a camera. If you don't have the proper visa and credentials, you run the very real risk of being deported or even arrested. Cances are you might not even make it through customs.

As far as signing releases or paying people I can you tell that in 15 years of working overseas that I've never -- EVER -- needed anyone to sign anything. I've had to pay some... um...."consulting fees" to local security forces or border police to get into certain areas, but as a journalist overseas or even here in the U.S. you don't need anyone's permission to film something that is happening in public view. Of course there are cultural considerations and other exceptions -- like you don't film women in many Islamic countries, or military installations without the proper clearances, etc.

If you have the money, the best thing you can do once you get in country is hire a "fixer." The best fixers speak english and can double as translator, have a car and so can double as your driver, but most importantly intimately know what you're trying to cover and can help you navigate the local waters to bring home the story.

Anyway, hope any of that helps.

Jon
 
That's a great thread title. I'm still chuckling at the images it brought to mind. Thanx...:thumbsup:
 
I'm not savvy on the foreign definitions of "journalist", or the hard facts of the law - but I do know that here in the states, there is a difference between a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, and I think this applies most places abroad as well.

It's true that journalists and other news reporters never have to get signed releases (why this is I'm not sure - must be that "freedom of the press" rumor we grew up with).

But as a documentary filmmaker, you should always get signed releases from the people you interview and the people you feature on camera. If you're hoping for theatrical, television or festival distribution, you will absolutely need these releases, regardless of where you shot the footage. No festival, distributor or television venue will touch your doc without at least the signed releases and they'll likely require rather rigorous "Errors and Omissions" insurance and documentation as well.

But for the time being, all you have to concentrate on is getting people to sign your releases. If you have any contacts in the country you're going to be filming in, you might get someone to research the laws and requirements for you ahead of time. The release should be in the language of the people signing it unless you are dealing with at least second language English speakers who can clearly understand the form they are signing.

I'm shooting in Copenhagen in September and have inquired about the requirements. They are basically the same as here in the states; anyone speaking on camera, or prominently featured on camera should sign a release. General public milling about in the streets, without the camera prominently featuring them, shouldn't be a problem.

Because we are shooting in a very specific community, we are also holding a community meeting on the second night we are there so that we have a chance to talk to people about our documentary, answer any questions or concerns and show some of our previous work, to give people an idea of who we are via our work. We are pretty committed to not shooting in the community until we've had this meeting.

This is probably much more than you may need to do, but due diligence in regards to legal and administrative documentation, and paying respect to the people you are there to "shoot" is always a good idea.
 
This forum is a gold mine. Thanks guys! The good thing is I am a Peruvian citizen and familiar with the country. I've just never filmed there and have no idea how to go about it. I'm planning on getting signed releases, but I was hoping not to have to pay anything. Filming here in BC, I have to pay at least $1 to people featured on film, or some kind of compensation. I'm just wondering if that's common in other places. I'm also going to visit my family, so keeping low profile should be fairly simple.

I do hope to do some filming in other countries I'm not familiar with so all this info is great. So, Jon, are you a journalist? I don't see how else you'd get away with not having release forms.
 
I would certainly defer to Bus when it comes to the specifics for documentaries. My experience is totally within journalism. Although, I must say I'm surprised that there would by any differences. After all, both serve the same basic goal.

How would does that requirement work if, say, the documentary leans more towards the controverisal side.

For example, did Michael Moore get a release from Charlton Heston for his appearance in Bowling for Columbine? Or any of the McDonalds employees in Supersize Me?
 
I'm not sure that both are perceived as serving the same goal. One is journalism, reporting of news, and the other is essentially entertainment (and I realize that these are both very broad generalizations). I think the difference comes down to who's producing or commissioning the product? Is it NBC? CNN? Fox? Or is it an independent producer creating a piece for theatrical release or distribution on an entertainment television network such as HBO, Showtime or PBS?

And I certainly wouldn't defer to me on any of this. I'm just trying to figure it out myself!

That said,

I still haven't seen Super Size Me, so I can't speak to that.

I'm really not sure in the case of Michael Moore and it's certainly arguable whether he is a Journalist or a documentary filmmaker (insert any number of responses here)

Moore's meeting with Charlton Heston was not by chance, it began as a formal interview in Heston's home (though, of course, it didn't end that way!) If Heston hadn't signed a release, it seems that he could have stopped Moore from using his interview, just as any other citizen could.

Looking back on Michael Moore's films, many of his confrontations begin as formal, planned interviews (such as the CEO of Nike from that other film - whatever the hell it was). I'm not sure how he gets away with the confrontations where he walks into a corporate office lobby and confronts receptionists, security guards and PR lackeys, though it does seem that these scenes often end up with him several yards away on public, rather than private property.

But, really, enough about him.

I would say that for those of us who are not employed by a news media corporation, or are not working as a freelance producer selling to a news media corporation with powerful legal representation built in, signed releases are entirely mandatory.
 
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JR, what are your thoughts on bringing equipment into a country? We're going into Denmark for just two weeks. Politically, Denmark is not a real hotspot (last fall's cartoon debacle not withstanding). It will be pretty clear that we're there to work, but we don't really have any credentials or invitations to work in Denmark. We're not journalists so I don't think we could get media visas. The place where we're shooting is pretty self contained, so I'm not worried about having problems there. But I am, now, concerned about hassles with bringing our equipment in. It's definitely more than tourist gear - it's a light kit and a big a** pelican case and a tripod bag. Any thoughts?
 
My sense is that documentaries and general news reporting serve the same goal in that both serve to educate with both facts and/or opinions.

Dictionary.com defines documentary as:

"A work, such as a film or television program, presenting political, social, or historical subject matter in a factual and informative manner and often consisting of actual news films or interviews accompanied by narration."

While we would hope that documentaries tend to be more entertaining than your typical newsbroadcast, I worry that making that the primary goal is what tends to create the MMs of the world -- form over substance, if you will.
 
Bus, I'll say right up front, that I've never worked in Denmark. Still, I'd guess that your chances of going through a big hassle at customs is pretty good. Again, your best bet is to call the PAO at the embassy in Copenhagen and get their take -- ask for the media relations desk. It may be easier than you think to get a journalist's visa. You don't need to be part of a big new organizaiton to go that route. I know plenty of freelancers who do it every day.
 
So, would it be completely legit to get a media visa for a documentary? What do they ask you when you request one? just curious.
 
Every documentary filmmaker that I've ever met overseas was working as a freelance journalist. Again, tho, your best bet is to call the embassy and get their take. Alternately, you could call their embassy in Washington, but it's a mixed bag on whether you'll get through to someone who is actually helpful and/or knows what they're talking about. The media relations staff at the U.S. embassy in the country you're going to -- nine times out of ten -- will know exactly what you need or don't need. Just spell out your situation and see what their advice is. That's what they're there for.
 
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