Vehicles
- Thread starter MrSadler
- Start date
I have used police cars in several films.
I have rented them and I have used actual cruisers by asking the
local cops. The clearance depends. There is no one-size-fits-all
answer.
I have rented them and I have used actual cruisers by asking the
local cops. The clearance depends. There is no one-size-fits-all
answer.
I understand - being an 18 year old kid, I figured it might be a little more difficult.
Do you have any tips on having the police allow use of their cruisers?
You can rent one from a picture car rental place for between $350 and $500 a day... simple as that.
There are ways around having to use a police car. Red and blue flashing lights will always conjur thoughts of a police car even if you don't see it. You could also use stock footage along with the use of close ups to sell the idea...
Use your imagination and you can make it work.
Or, if all else fails, go up to a cop in his cruiser and ask him if you can film him while he drives...
Use your imagination and you can make it work.
Or, if all else fails, go up to a cop in his cruiser and ask him if you can film him while he drives...
Here in Aus, they allow you to hire their cars for a nominal cost. If you're a student it's free but you do have to pay an officer by the hour to drive it. They also rent out things like light bars and decals for normal cars that you can use (again, often free for students)
What a lot of the bigger TV dramas do is make their own cop car - they get their Production Designer to design big magnets that then get stuck onto the car, as well as usually different number plates. Stick a light bar on top and hen you just need to tell the police where you'll be filming and that you'll have a fake cop car.
The good thing about that is, you can have an otherwise normal car until you rock up on set and then you can 'dress' it and have your cop car.
What a lot of the bigger TV dramas do is make their own cop car - they get their Production Designer to design big magnets that then get stuck onto the car, as well as usually different number plates. Stick a light bar on top and hen you just need to tell the police where you'll be filming and that you'll have a fake cop car.
The good thing about that is, you can have an otherwise normal car until you rock up on set and then you can 'dress' it and have your cop car.
In Los Angeles, in Hollywood, in Burbank, in Topanga Canyon, in
San Bernardino. When I was 17 in Santa Barbara. When I was
22 in Anaheim.
It depends on how you present yourself. You’re right - if you walk
into a police station and you think your just an 18 year old kid,
they will think of you as just an 18 year old kid. If you are hoping
for something a little less difficult do not write a scene where you
need a cop car.
You’re going to hate my answer.
Ask.
You’re in a tiny town. When I was 17 and living in Santa Barbara,
population 55,000, I asked and got four cop cars to come screeching
to a stop in front of an apartment building - lights rolling - for five takes.
Don’t think I could do that in Los Angeles or NYC. But you could where
you live.
I'd be willing to bet that most officers, if asked to do something like sliding to a stop or a 180 bat turn on camera would be even more willing to help out. Every man wants to "stunt drive" on camera, at least a little. Police are some of the few that are actually practiced haha.
Nope. No charm at all. I just did what very few young filmmakers
are willing to do - I asked. It never even occurred to me NOT to just
ask them.
I fully understand that most people would rather buy some stock
footage and do it as a visual effect but I was (and still am) more of
a physical filmmaker. VFX are a great tool for many things. Asking
people to provide a service or help out is also a great tool. I am in
no way a charming guy but I have always considered myself a
“professional” even when I was 15, 16, 17. I walked into the local
police station with a script, a schedule and a suit and tie. I walked
out with an agreement. When I showed the film everyone was
amazed and asked the same question you did: how did you get the
cops to do that? I answered the same way I answered you; I asked.
I was thinking then as I do now - why wouldn’t you ask?
I think the younger you are the better. I would get a very different
reaction now than I did when I was 17. The cops loved the idea of
helping out this 17 year old kid with big dreams. And a smaller town
helps, too. The local paper even came out and did a little piece on the
cops showing their support to a local filmmaker.
The smaller the law enforcement agency the more likely you are to get an easy yes. If you approached my department (we do film work all of the time), you would need insurance, a hold harmless agreement and money (minimum $360.00, but that amount is unlikely) unless you knew someone who was close with the Sheriff. One of my buddies recently got fired for using department equipment in a YouTube video without authorization. The video only had 64 views before the feces impacted the radial cooling device.
What I do is rent a retired police car from one of the multiple used car lots that buy our junk at auction and use stickers (heavy mil static cling) for a fictional police department that I had made by a sign shop for a reasonable price. The upside is that I don't violate department policy and have instant police car whenever I want it. You could have the stickers put on magnetic backing, but that costs quite a bit more. For lights I have a bit of an advantage in that I have a couple of racks of real police lights (everything from small dash strobes all the way up to full size current model LED light bars). If I didn't have all of my lights that I've collected over the years, I would use cheap party strobes powered by a portable AC power pack. You can buy flashing LED strips from most auto parts stores that you could use as grill lights. Remember, not all police cars have the big light bar on the roof. If you really need a full size light bar, you can buy an old bar on ebay with clear lenses relatively cheap. You then use colored gels to make the bar any color you need and can change it anytime you want (think fire truck, tow truck, Homeland Security, etc.). As always, make certain that you are in full compliance with all local, state and federal laws regarding the use of colored lighting on vehicles. Best of luck to you.
What I do is rent a retired police car from one of the multiple used car lots that buy our junk at auction and use stickers (heavy mil static cling) for a fictional police department that I had made by a sign shop for a reasonable price. The upside is that I don't violate department policy and have instant police car whenever I want it. You could have the stickers put on magnetic backing, but that costs quite a bit more. For lights I have a bit of an advantage in that I have a couple of racks of real police lights (everything from small dash strobes all the way up to full size current model LED light bars). If I didn't have all of my lights that I've collected over the years, I would use cheap party strobes powered by a portable AC power pack. You can buy flashing LED strips from most auto parts stores that you could use as grill lights. Remember, not all police cars have the big light bar on the roof. If you really need a full size light bar, you can buy an old bar on ebay with clear lenses relatively cheap. You then use colored gels to make the bar any color you need and can change it anytime you want (think fire truck, tow truck, Homeland Security, etc.). As always, make certain that you are in full compliance with all local, state and federal laws regarding the use of colored lighting on vehicles. Best of luck to you.