Shooting in la....

V

Vinyl Stax

Well-known member
Hey Guys,

I have some questions regarding shooting in LA.
We are prepping for a little video shoot there and have some questions that I was hoping I could run through you.

1) How picky do the service people ( police, security ect) get when seeing a semi pro crew filming in the streets ?
Obviously no permits in hand.

2) What to avoid ( meaning either places or behaviours or locations )

3) Where to rent stuff ( crane, some lights and some grip stuff)

4) Any helicopter rental place to consider ?

I know it may sound like I am lazy, but I am really not.
The research has been done and I sort of know some of the facts touched here, but this forum is known for having answers to everything so I figured it would not kill me if I asked.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
1. I wouldn't try to shoot in LA with a permit, unless you are shooting without a tripod and a "small" camera. I guess you could get away with it if you shoot in a small residential street where you know all the neighbors and they are cool with it. We did that once without a problem (even had two grip trucks parked in the street) but I think we were just extremely lucky to get away with it. I think it's generally risky to shoot without a permit, not just because you can be shut down but also because if something happens and somebody gets hurt, your insurance probably won't cover you because you didn't have a permit to shoot.
3. Mole Richardson, Indi Rentals, HD Camera Rentals, Wooden Nickel, Panavision etc.... really depends on what you need exactly...
 
so you would need a permit to do any type of shooting anywhere in LA ?
I shot 2 music video clips in New York last year in Manhattan and never ever was stopped ones and we used a 10 feet crane for half of the shots. I think once we were asked to leave but were given 10 minutes to complete the shot.
I walked with my camera brace for like 2 days with pretty much no problem what so ever.

Is LA soooo much different ?
 
I haven't shot in LA but I have heard many LA horror stories. One of my friends was shooting a short in the front yard of his own home and two guys across the street wouldn't stop screaming during takes unless he paid them. My friend called the police and the police showed up and threatened to fine my friend if he didn't get a permit.
 
I've stolen shots downtown before. No tripod, Canon XH-A1, tethered shotgun mic on a pistol grip... hope you're going for the handheld look.

Got stopped by a security guard / doorman at an office building. We were shooting around the corner and he came to make sure we weren't homeless guys peeing on the building. Very nice / naive guy. Guess he was new.

Had a pedestrian come up and demand we erase any footage that caught her appearance. She literally sat with around until we showed her the last take. It's only worth it if you can afford the fine and pull off the shots without paranoia setting in :)
 
I have shot in many north american cities so I am kinda used to making sure we are looking smaller than we are :)
Overall the experience has always been positive. Never shot in LA though, therefore I wanna know your opinions before we set out for the journey..

How much are the fines let's say in case the police is called in and show up to shut us down ?
I never had this happen to me so I would not know.

thanks for your input so far.
I am sure there is more stories out there ..:)
It is very appreciated !!
 
What about shooting "tests shots" and random things, at the beach or some street, like any tourist would? Do tourists get fined and stuff for filming their stuff? I'm talking about shots where it's just you and your camera.
 
nearly everything you could possibly want to know about obtaining permits is here...

http://www.filmla.com

its super easy if you're running a legit, insured, budgeted and scheduled production. the local residents and business owners are savvy and they will call to have you shut down if they didn't receive a notice of filming. this is not a film friendly town for guerilla filmmaking because everyone assumes you have money. and they want a piece of that for their inconvenience.

diego, you don't have to worry about running around with a dslr shooting video like a tourist. but if you've got a grip truck, will be blocking sidewalks, making a lot of noise, its wise to do everything you can to keep the production from being interrupted.
 
the thing is I'm only a student. I don't have money for anything, so I'm not sure how I'd go about shooting things like test videos, music videos, and short films.

I can't afford any insurance or anything, so I don't even know if I could get a permit.
 
Film LA will consult with you on your permit needs. from their site...

So, you’re a student in an accredited film education program and you’re working on a project for class. Are you going to need a permit to film out on-location?

You might! As it turns out, your permit needs depend -- a lot -- on your specific project and when and where you plan to film it.

That’s where we come in. We’re FilmL.A., an organization that partners with area governments and other public entities to provide one-stop permit coordination services. Filmmakers are our customers, governments are our clients, and local communities are our concern.

If you’re going to be making a student film in Los Angeles, you should give us a call to discuss your plans as early as you possibly can. We can guide you in the steps you need to take so that when it’s time for you to apply for a permit, there are no unwelcome surprises.
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if this is too much hassle for you, then you're in the wrong city. and possibly in the wrong line of work. not to state the obvious but this is an expensive art/business. without production insurance (which is cheap thru fractured atlas), you're going to have a near impossible time renting additional gear and securing locations other than your apartment. an insurance cert is the first thing anyone asks for, even if you're renting from a guy you found on craigslist.

yes, you can steal shots here and there. I've done it. maybe you can get a scene in. but you are putting your film (and the time and effort of your cast and crew) at risk of being for nothing if you get shut down. personally, i don't like to play the lottery.
 
Yes. I've seen great short films shot for next to nothing. Just a camera, friends, and some creativity. I've seen it done. Are you really insinuating that someone has to have a bunch of cash to blow, otherwise it's impossible?
 
If you shoot mostly inside, on private property, and if you keep your set looking small (like an amateur student film), you probably are going to be fine. I'll still would advise you to get a permit and insurance.... just think about what would happen if somebody gets hurt (pokes out his eye on a c stand)... you might get a bill for 10 thousands of dollars, and no insurance company will pay....

About shooting in downtown... three years ago, my girlfriends family came visiting us, and they made a trip to downtown. Her father had a small handicam and he started filming some of downtowns large buildings. It took less than 10 minutes and he got shut down by a security guy that told him that he couldn't film the buildings because it was considered a security issue (9/11).
 
Do you know how much it would cost to get a permit and insurance? (I e-mailed question to FilmLA, but they haven't responded).
 
diego1235467 said:
Yes. I've seen great short films shot for next to nothing. Just a camera, friends, and some creativity. I've seen it done.
Click to expand...
then you weren't really asking.

diego1235467 said:
Are you really insinuating that someone has to have a bunch of cash to blow, otherwise it's impossible?
Click to expand...
:) I don't know how you extrapolated that from my post. I'm not sure you read what I wrote. or you've imagined I've said something I haven't. certainly, no budget films are produced every day. but if you aspire to shooting on location in a major urban center, on city sidewalks, in a bar or restaurant, in a state park, or anywhere out in public in Los Angeles, doing so without permits and running that production without insurance, is taking a big, unnecessary risk in my opinion. this isn't boise, idaho. the locals are jaded and tired of productions making noise at night and blocking traffic. they aren't dumb and many expect to be compensated. filmmakers have been shooting here a long time. and let me tell you from experience, buying off the person who wants to call the cops or rescheduling and finding a new location costs a lot more in time and money than applying for the permit.

free advice. take it or leave it.
 
Zak's absolutely right. For being such a film-"friendly" area, it is surprisingly unfriendly when you don't take the proper steps.

Shooting guerrilla has taken on a life of it's own, and how "it's the cool thing to do". I hear people bragging "we didn't have permits...." Well......it can be even more expensive than being legit. Especially if a cop is having a bad day before responding to your "set". Can you say "confiscation/impound of all gear"? And yes, possible arrests.

So the question is, why risk it?
 
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Well from personal experience, how much have you paid for permits?

As for liability insurance, according to the site for my purposes it's about $425 annually. Am I reading that correctly? Also, If it were just me and some friends doing shorts, would the general liability insurance be enough? Or do I need to insure other stuff?

*EDIT
Wait a minute, from the FilmLA site:
"Within the Los Angeles region, any filming activity THAT HAS A COMMERCIAL PURPOSE and is not filmed on a certified sound stage or studio backlot must have a film permit from the local governmental jurisdiction or agency. "

What about non-commercial projects?

Do tourists filming on Venice Beach or the SM pier need permits?
 
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You will need a film permit also for non-commercial projects, but it will usually be way cheaper or often even for free. Usually, the process of getting a permit is as follows:

Get a certificate of insurance for the city/or property owner if you shoot on private property --> notify all the businesses / residents that are affected by the shoot --> get a location agreement signed --> apply for a film permit, (if you need to park a grip truck etc. on the street, use a generator etc. you will have to fill out some additional forms) ---> wait a couple days (usually about a week) for the the permit to get approved by the city/fire department ---> pick up your paper work and make sure you have it with you on the set on the day of shooting.

Depending on when you shoot and what equipment you bring, there might be special conditions attached to the permit, like for example: Certain cities require you to have a fireman present if you use a large generator. You will need the police if you block traffic, you will have to protect the neighborhood from spill light if you shoot at night, etc.

Just make sure to start fairly early with the whole process... there might be some delays in the process, so account for that.

Hope that helps a little bit...
 
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