Experience with getting emergency services to appear in shorts

Danny Aindow

Danny Aindow

Hi all, as the title suggests i'm wondering if people have had experience with getting emergency services tp appear in your short.

More specifically i'm thinking of in the UK and even more specifically the police.

Currently writing a short i plan to shoot with some like minded friends and it involves an accident, i'd really like to have a police officer on screen for a minute or so and having a police car there with the lights flashing would really benefit it a lot. Even better to have an ambulance there too but i'm really quite sure that would be impossible to manage and a police presence would be enough for what i need really.

Has anyone any experience or advice on approaching their local police on anything like this? Anyone managed to get them to help out? I read a thread someone had put on here about having permission to film a cop go about his working day for a documentary but i didnt want to hijack his thread.

Whilst people in the UK would be of most help i'd welcome comments from anyone around the world.

Cheers.
 
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I had a cop in my first short.. an epic failure of an overbudget, underplanned, still-can't-believe-I-got-all-the-locations-I-did-yet-didn't-get-coverage-to-finish-the-film kind of project. We had a scene in a police station, and the officer sitting behind the desk agreed to be in a scene. Just had him sign a release.

As far as getting them to come out to your location and be in it, your best bet is to talk to a police station, and see if there are any cops who would be interested in doing so when they're off duty. You may have to pay something, but you'd be surprised what you can get just by asking. :)
 
The local police's non-emergency numbers for all the cities surrounding my area are on speed dial for me. They know me and I call them anytime I need to do anything that could possibly impinge on the public peace. They like that I do so and let me get away with more than I probably should be able to because I'm so open and upfront about it.
 
Thanks guys some encouraging replies there. Wasn't sure if they where allowed to do without some special release, being that they are in uniform etc but when it comes down to it i may just go down to the local station and ask :)
 
[QT]http://www.darkcrimes.com/movies/copcar.mov[/QT]
You're right - never know until you ask. They might need some special release.

I needed a shot of a police car approaching the location. We called the local department
and they sent a guy over. He was so impressed with the set up that he allowed the actors
to get out of the car and even coached them on what to do as they walked up the steps.

All in all he hung out with us for about 2 hours.
 
Wow nice job getting that, I guess a pretty important part of indie film making is having the guts to go ask people for things, which i'm pretty ok with :)

I guess the police are happy to do stuff 'on the cheap/free' as long as it wont show them in a negative way.

I think i'll feel happier writing it with a police car in it now i know it can be done, directorik did they require any payment or any kind of release from you or did it all come from a phone call?
 
Never be afraid to ask for something you need for your film, the worst someone can tell you is no. Well, ok they may do so in a rather harsh manner occasionally, but still...

Just by asking, and not having to pay anything, I've gotten use of these locations:

Amtrak (train) station
Police Station
City Park (running around with guns -- had permission for the city, no charge)
College Administration offices
Motel Lobby, in front of and behind desk, and a room for several hours
Warehouse (used as a sound stage for the 48hr film project last year)
Hospital

most of these were all in one short... (the aforementioned one which will never be finished sadly)
 
Will Vincent said:
Never be afraid to ask for something you need for your film, the worst someone can tell you is no. Well, ok they may do so in a rather harsh manner occasionally, but still...
Click to expand...

Well being as i work in a busy cinema i'm actually quite used to people talking to you like crap so i'm sure i can handle that :)

I guess this is one of those things that can help seperate the good from the great? Making the effort to go out and ask for things where others may not for fear of rejection.

In the words of Dave Lister (although i'm sure he didn't coin the phrase!), "Nothing ventured, nothing gained"
 
Danny Aindow said:
I think i'll feel happier writing it with a police car in it now i know it can be done, directorik did they require any payment or any kind of release from you or did it all come from a phone call?
Click to expand...

Danny, anything can be done. You just have to work at it.

In this case we were in a small town and it took one phone call and no payment at all.
The officer was kind of excited when he saw the cabin well lit and the professionalism
of the small crew. In Los Angeles police won't do it for free, but I've gotten some great
cops to help out on their off hours. A few miles away in Anaheim (the home of Disneyland)
I've gotten a lot of cooperation from fire department and police - all for free.

You gotta be prepared and you gotta ask. You may get plenty of "No" but if you don't
ask you'll never get a "Yes."
 
hey, I live in the UK and i asked many police stations for a shot of a police car and maybe a police officer. I finally got what i wanted and they also said they had a free cell where i could film. It was quite hard to find some one who was willing to do it but i found that "special" and "community" officers within england where willing to help. I have also asked police officers in the street for a documentary work and the community officers where the best people to ask. I hope this helps your enquiry.

This film i made about 3 years ago so dont take any notice of the camera angles, lighting and narrative but if you look at the end shot with the police officer.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pOILQU5UKyc
 
Yeah that does help thanks a lot, with do have some CSO's who patrol round this area and come to think of it we've even had them into work to about an odd customer we kept getting in, maybe they would be a good first port of call.

Ta for all the advice and the video's where great to see
 
knightly said:
The local police's non-emergency numbers for all the cities surrounding my area are on speed dial for me. They know me and I call them anytime I need to do anything that could possibly impinge on the public peace. They like that I do so and let me get away with more than I probably should be able to because I'm so open and upfront about it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that strikes me as the best way to go about it. If you're cool about it, I can't imagine a whole lot of people being a complete jerk about it.
 
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