Traveling abroad

F

frannyglassarrives

Active member
Hi,
I will be traveling to India to shoot a two crew production and I was wondering if anyone had any experience going through customs with the gear.
I will have my hvx, sachtler tripod, and a microphone.

Does anyone forsee this as being a problem?

A friend of mine told me that if they suspect you are shooting a movie they will charge a bundle to pass customs.

Any knowledge??

Also, anyone know where I can get international insurance for my gear??
 
Try C&S Insurance out of New York. I used them for a recent three year shoot in Mexico. They were great to work with. Just do a google search for C&S Insurance.
Jim
 
Not sure where your home base is (Canada or US perhaps?)... I travel and shoot a fair bit internationally, and the biggest headache is when I return home to Canada or travel to shoot in the US.

Both Canada customs (when I get home) and US customs (when I cross into the states) want a full detailed list of equipment with replacement value, serial numbers, country of manufacture, etc, that has been stamped as valid by Canada customs before I leave. So you will need a Carnet...

Never have I been hassled about equipment when entering other countries - China, Cuba, Iceland, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, India, Sri Lanka, Mexico, and a bunch of Caribbean islands. That's not to say it won't happen in the future - which is why your paperwork needs to be bullet-proof!

For Insurance I use HKMB Hub in Toronto, they will issue a country by country addition to my regular policy in a couple of hours.
 
What do you mean Carnet??
When I go for my India visa, I have been advised to say that I'm going for tourism and not mention the filming, what do you think? Is it advisable to list tourism as my reason for visit?
And I live in the US.
 
Yes, with a professional camera, get a Carnet. The tripod, store, etc. mark you as a pro, tourists don't carry tripods and larger cameras.

Getting Carnets stamped in both countries can be a pain. The whole end with India is a different ball game, I would seriously have some cash set aside to grease the wheels of commerce, if needed.
 
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