Shooting a documentary in the US coming from Europe...

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dmitrizigany

Veteran
I've been asked to go with a band to LA for two weeks to document their trip. That's all great as I've never been to LA before. But as things are very different in the states compared to Europe I've go some concerns...

Where can I film and where not?
If I film the band as they walk down the streets? Out through car windows? What if they play a venue?

Most EU citizens don't need a visa to enter the US but a simple ESTA is sufficient. If going for work, do I need a work permit, even if the pay is from a company outside the US? How complicated/costly are those to get?
If I go just as a tourist, will they be suspicious if I bring an FS700 or EA50 and an assortment of lenses?

I heard LA is very dusty? How does that affect the gear on a two week job (if even an issue)?

I will make sure I have a good insurance...

What other things would you recommend me think about before going?

thanks
DZ
 
Why not hire an assistant in LA? Would save you a lot of grief of getting around, plus I'm sure you could use help with stuff either way.
 
How long to do you plan to be here? And People with cameras shooting on the streets of LA are about a dime a dozen and hardly noticed unless you have a large setup. As far as the Visa thing….. I would never advocate that you do something illegal, but if the production is small I doubt anyone would even look twice.
 
A small Pelican case with sound gear and a boom pole got my director turned back from the border entering Canada. Though US might e different similar thing can happen if you plan to work here without visa. That said now i know there are exceptions - News crew for instance can work in Canada without visa, though i doubt many border security people know that.
 
filmmakerguy said:
Why not hire an assistant in LA? Would save you a lot of grief of getting around, plus I'm sure you could use help with stuff either way.
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Unfortunately, the band is not rolling in money and it's a big stretch for them to bring one guy to film so I guess it's most probably out of the question. Would love to have an assistant though. Have almost only done one-man-crew jobs, so that would sure be a luxury :)
 
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jlpskydive said:
How long to do you plan to be here? And People with cameras shooting on the streets of LA are about a dime a dozen and hardly noticed unless you have a large setup. As far as the Visa thing….. I would never advocate that you do something illegal, but if the production is small I doubt anyone would even look twice.
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Staying two weeks. Very small setup, just me and a FS700 (or EA50). No other crew.
Will look into getting the proper visa and see how long that takes etc..
 
Patryk_Rebisz said:
A small Pelican case with sound gear and a boom pole got my director turned back from the border entering Canada. Though US might e different similar thing can happen if you plan to work here without visa. That said now i know there are exceptions - News crew for instance can work in Canada without visa, though i doubt many border security people know that.
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I've shot all over the world. Asia, Europe, Caribbean, Oceania, etc.... Canada has and continues to be the hardest place to bring film gear through customs, with the exception of the corrupt places that would otherwise steal it or hold it ransom (bribes). They want to protect their local jobs. I sometimes wish the US would do the same (protect jobs) with Canada, considering the flooding of productions (production and VFX) going over the border. But that is a semi-political topic for another time.

But 3/4 stories I hear about difficulty getting through customs without a work visa is Canada.

The US is a gamble. Sometimes I walk straight through customs without an issue with an Alexa and Panavision anamorphics, and sometimes they stop me and ask 100 questions about a HPX170. You never know.

Same with security checkpoints. I was just on an international job, and I carried an Alexa body in my backpack with (4) LiIon batteries. Another camera assistant had another body in his backpack (with four LiIon's), and another carry-on with probably about (12) Anton Bauer LiIon's!!! He and I went through 3 security checkpoints, and I was stopped and searched everytime, while he never had to open a bag. Literally at the same checkpoints but in different lines.

Now neither of us had anything illegal, nor were we breaking any laws... But it goes to show the discrepencies of the experience depending on simply who you encounter at customs or checkpoints.
 
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Wouldn't you need a carnet for professional gear, especially on the return?

Tripods get more attention, just shoot on public property (sidewalks, etc) and you should be OK. The band should be able to get you into the venues. This may be a good time to use the best prosumer gear you can and fly under the radar.

Be advised there have been a rash of gear thefts in LA. I heard one was armed robbery. Seems like crews are being followed home. Fortunately I haven't had a problem and my insurance is up to date.
 
US Customs can be a breeze or a nightmare all depending on the mood of the individual inspector you get. Total crapshoot. A friend of mine has been banned from the US for life because he was suspected of coming here to work. His company partner is based in the US and he's EU. Didn't matter that he wasn't here for work, and that even if he was he owned the company and couldn't take someone's job. He's spent years and thousands of dollars trying to overturn it with no luck. Other people breeze in and out all the time working without a single question.
Your band most likely is getting some kind of performance visa to play shows here. Is it possible to get added to that? Obviously I'm not an expert so I don't know, so take that as just a guess.

As to your questions about what's ok to film, in the US you are pretty much ok shooting in public as long as you're on public property (streets, sidewalks). People out in public don't have a reasonable expectation of privacy, so that's not an issue. Private property owners can ask you to not film while on their property, but don't have a legal right to stop you from filming from the sidewalk. The venues that the band plays at are all going to be different. Some of them will welcome you with open arms and buy you drinks for shooting there, while the next one will threaten to smash your camera into little pieces if you even turn it on. Check with the venue managers (ahead of time if possible). For the most part, since you're with the band and filming the band, you shouldn't have too many problems.
 
Andrius Simutis said:
As to your questions about what's ok to film, in the US you are pretty much ok shooting in public as long as you're on public property (streets, sidewalks).
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Forgot to mention that some places will demand film permits if you have a production. I haven't shot in LA in forever, so this may be out of date, but if it's single camera handheld without lights or crew it won't need a permit. The other permit exemption is news/documentary.
 
Thanks all for info & anecdotes! Much appreciated.
Im not entirely sure yet if the band is actually performing or not. I think they actually might go mostly for meetings etc and travel as tourists. Need to find out more about that but wanted a bit more knowledge before asking them the exact details.

Yes, I probably need receipts/proof of purchase of the items I bring for customs on my way back.

Might be be easier just to rent. Anyone know on top of their head how much a C100 + lens would cost to rent for 10 days? Approx.?
 
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