So, I am an aspiring filmmaker, and I am in the process of planning a short film that I want to take place in a field that is not mine, and I was planning on using a prop gun. I have been told that if you are going to use prop guns, you should let the police know ahead of time, but that brings up another issue: I don't have a permit. The field that I want to film in is in a nature park, so it's not private property, but I don't actually have the money to apply for a permit. There's really no information on how to go about any of these steps I should be taking, so I am asking you guys! I am based in Portland OR, and have a budget of nothing. Thanks for any feedback!
How can I get a permit? (among other questions)
- Thread starter D&A Studios
- Start date
Welcome to indietalk. Check out the Portland Film Office website.
I get what you're after: you're hoping that some here will suggest you
just go for it. I'll do that if you like. Go ahead and shoot there. Be careful,
be respectful of other people using the public land and follow the advice
you have already been given to let the police know when and where you're
shooting and that you will have a prop gun. It's just a short film after all
and you don't have the budget.
I also know you get the reality of this situation. You could get into a lot of
trouble if you just go guerrilla style. There are many things that could go
wrong. Check into your local film office, do more than just read their website;
go to the office. Introduce yourself. Talk to them. Discuss options. You may
have to alter your vision or make a different movie this time or wait until you
have the budget to do it all nice and legal. Or you may get away with it.
We have the same first name.
Anyway, contact the Portland Film office and apply for a permit. They usually have someone who can give the appropriate advice.
If you have a nothing budget, you may also want to talk to the local police and get some feedback. Best wishes.
Forget the permit. It's the prop gun I'm worried about. Tiny-budget filmmakers have died as a result of using prop guns in public spaces, even when they've notified police of their plans.
Don't do it. If you can't afford to hire a police escort, it's not worth risking the safety of your cast/crew.
I've used prop guns in public spaces, but on both occasions I made it clear to the cast/crew that we had to nail it in one take. Not one take for multiple shots, over the course of the day, but one take, period. And we kept the prop hidden until right before shooting. So the prop gun was visible to the public for a total of about 10 seconds.
I really don't think you should just be running around a park shooting a short film that involves a significant amount of gunplay, not without a police escort.
Don't do it. If you can't afford to hire a police escort, it's not worth risking the safety of your cast/crew.
I've used prop guns in public spaces, but on both occasions I made it clear to the cast/crew that we had to nail it in one take. Not one take for multiple shots, over the course of the day, but one take, period. And we kept the prop hidden until right before shooting. So the prop gun was visible to the public for a total of about 10 seconds.
I really don't think you should just be running around a park shooting a short film that involves a significant amount of gunplay, not without a police escort.
It seems your advice based on experience is to go ahead and use a prop gun
just make sure you keep it out of sight and do only one take.
Seems reasonable to me. I didn't get the impression from the OP that he was
going to be running around a park shooting a short film that involves a significant
amount of gun play. I actually got the impression he was planning to be very careful.
In my experience just the notification works. That way when the police get a
call that there are people with a gun in the park they already know who they
are. they still show up, they are still cautious, but they don't come in unaware.
just make sure you keep it out of sight and do only one take.
Seems reasonable to me. I didn't get the impression from the OP that he was
going to be running around a park shooting a short film that involves a significant
amount of gun play. I actually got the impression he was planning to be very careful.
In my experience just the notification works. That way when the police get a
call that there are people with a gun in the park they already know who they
are. they still show up, they are still cautious, but they don't come in unaware.
The criminal law says that you can't point a firearm or an imitation firearm, so I'd definitely touch base with the police. I do think you need a film permit or other permit to be able to point weapons.
Yes, we see eye to eye on this. Your summation of my advice is correct. I only want to reiterate how important it is to err on the side of caution, not just for gunplay but for any potential life-threatening danger. But yeah, so long as the OP is really careful about how they do things, I think that's fine.
Good. I was thrown off by your "Don't do it." followed by a very
positive experience you had doing it.
positive experience you had doing it.
Yes, I suppose my original comments were a tad self-contradictory.
I did get that impression. Maybe I was just being a worry-wort, but I definitely had fear that the OP was planning to just run around a public park all day with prop guns a-blazing. That's where my "don't do it" came from. Even with police being informed, this would be a very bad idea.
But then I realized that I've used prop guns in public places, and so it'd be hypocritical of me to say that it shouldn't be done under any circumstances.
If you're very careful, and if you keep safety your absolute top priority, then yes, I'm in agreement that it can be done successfully.