Legal - Filming in Public - United Kingdom

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 5:46 pm

Okay, as promised, here's the legal blurb, the can do's and can don'ts(?) of filming in public in the United Kingdom (That's Britain, or England to some of you lot!)

I appreciate that most of us are amateur movie makers, and that these provisions listed below are for professional film makers, but sometimes you may want to go the legit option for better filming opportunities!

1. Insurance

By law if you're filming in public, you should have insurance that includes public liability cover. If you're paying anyone with regards to the movie, either they must have their own cover, or your cover must extend to them.

The insurance for movie making usually covers equipment owned or hired, as well as film cars, etc.

2. Location Contracts

If you're filming in a private public place (?) like a shopping centre, inside a store, stately home, etc. you must have an agreement with the establishment.

The contract should take into consideration:
-location fee and when it must be paid by;
- how, in the event of damage to the location, the owner will be compensated under the terms of your public liability insurance;
- the dates and times of access for dress, shoot and strike;
- the rights to which the film company is entitled, e.g. the right to show the film in any medium; the right to return and finish filming at a mutually convenient time if, for whatever reason, filming is not completed within the agreed time limit

3. Rights Clearance

Going by the example given by the British films comission that explains this well:- What happens if you want to film in and around Burger King?

- Filming outside Burger King is perfectly legal, and showing their logo and store is no problem, as it forms part of the street - The Public Domain if you like!

- If you wanted to film inside Burger King, you would have to get their permission, not only to film inside, but to show their logo inside. That's because it's suddenly private property when you enter the building.

- You are entitled to film passers-by, and do not need their permission to feature their faces. If they're gong to wander into shot, it's their tough luck!

- If you are making a film about dodgy burgers, and film Burger King, you're opening yourself to lawsuits through slander. Of course, if the burgers are legally proven to be dodgy, then you have every right, so long as you don't cross the lines as to what is fact and what is fiction!

4. Local Authorities

If you're filming on private land, ignore this! If you're filming on public land (i.e. a street), then you need to contact the council offices of the borough that you're filming in for their relevant guidelines.

Apparently, local authorities are actually very happy to help, and even provide locations ideal for filming in building that they own - Like historical buildings, and scenic places!

5. The Police!

The boys in blue must be given advance notification of filming that is to commense in their jurisdiction - In writing!

Okay, this isn't as bad as it sounds:

The police will provide assistance for filming :

- the public highway - Roads, town centres, etc.

- use special effects, explosions, gunfire or guns (including imitations), stage a crime, or film actors wearing police uniforms or driving marked police cars.

Impersonation of a police officer is an offence, but if the police are supervising, it's not!

Not only will they help with that stuff, but you'll also get them helping out with road closures if needed, traffic calming measures, or partial road-closures if required! To quite the British Films Comission: "Having the support of the local police force in such an instance can be very useful."

Seems that unless you've got a really good private location, it may be worth considering some of the above to get some awsome movie shots! Just imagine a Zombie flick, where 100's of Zombies are running from Broadmead up Park Street to the KFC at the top of Blackboy Hill! (Is that KFC still there? When I was a nipper, my dad would drive us all there, get KFC, and we'd eat it up on the downs!)

Faldor · Post by **Faldor** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 6:08 pm

[quote]Originally posted by CamClub
the United Kingdom (That's Britain, or England to some of you lot!)

what about wales you racist git

:D

cheers for the much useful info

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 6:10 pm

Hey, I was merely reflecting the attitudes of some of the people on this country - You also neglected to mention Northern Ireland, and Scotland!

Ornsack · Post by **Ornsack** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 7:10 pm

I was always told in college that you're quite free to plonk a tripod in a street and film legally. If you're doing anything which may cause attention or is slightly dodgy then you have to notify the police and the public, but other than that it should be fine.

Aparrently in France you can get arrested for filming in streets without requesting permission!

Faldor · Post by **Faldor** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 7:24 pm

Originally posted by CamClub
Hey, I was merely reflecting the attitudes of some of the people on this country - You also neglected to mention Northern Ireland, and Scotland!

on purpose as a satire of said attitudes.

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 7:48 pm

figures, I wonder what the restrictions for those types of filming are here in the united States, well I'm sure Raptor will tell us.

Faldor · Post by **Faldor** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 8:07 pm

Camclub should also point out its not allowed to film a bank or post office in the United British Welsh Kingdom place (if thats not right nothing is!

)

cos you could be an international terrorist or somin

plus my teacher said it so it must be true!

Ornsack · Post by **Ornsack** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 8:27 pm

You can film in a bank with requested permission. I wouldn't walk in to one with a camcorder though.

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 8:55 pm

Originally posted by foxwood
figures, I wonder what the restrictions for those types of filming are here in the united States, well I'm sure Raptor will tell us.

Shoot what you want in public, provided you comply with any local laws requiring permits. If you can see an oblect from the public thorofare it is OK, there is a relative gray area if there is a trademark on a private object, depending how it is used in the film, may be OK may not. The biggie comes when ever there are any people in the shot. The you will require a model release for ANYONE ( good idea to include your talent here also) who is identifiable in the shot. Key word here is identifiable. Also keep in mind that there may be certain restrictions on even some public sites such as government buildings. Even though you can generally get away with shooting private property from public thorofares, you still have other responsibilities. Shootng the exterior of some one's home as the site of a greusome murder for your flick could leave you open to a lawsuit. You are misrepresenting this and could damage resale values. A good rule of thumb is to always get a model release, and also property releases. Much easier to do it while/before shooting than after

See Foxwood.. u were right.. I did LOL

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 9:05 pm

Well your our copywrite expert. See this is why I shoot with just friends, on private property, so that nobody will sue us.

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 12:44 am

Originally posted by foxwood
Well your our copywrite expert. See this is why I shoot with just friends, on private property, so that nobody will sue us.

Absolutely great idea

Just an aside tho, get model releases from your friends.. I know it sounds wierd, but I have seen posts from people who were in a promo still for a brochure, then turned around and wanted payment for it...

epsonink · Post by **epsonink** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 12:50 am

Dang, those wouldnt be my friends. Or you could get family memebers because those would be the last people to want to take money from me. Also family memebers have more diverse age group so that you dont have all of the same aged teenagers walking around.

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 1:54 am

My friends well the ones I use wouldn't do that to me, because simply they wouldn't, but for most other people I would, what exactly is a modal release, Thats sounds silly but could you go on.

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:01 am

Originally posted by foxwood
My friends well the ones I use wouldn't do that to me, because simply they wouldn't, but for most other people I would, what exactly is a modal release, Thats sounds silly but could you go on.

Here are a couple samples...
http://www.dpcorner.com/all_about/releases.shtml
http://www.nyip.com/sub_idx_pgs/referid ... lease.html

For more info do a google search on "model release" and "property release"

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:10 am

Thanks.

you were sued in a past life wern't you?

[Edited on 1-10-2003 by foxwood]

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:24 am

Originally posted by foxwood
Thanks.

you were sued in a past life wern't you?

[Edited on 1-10-2003 by foxwood]

LOL nope, just got the assignment to research and document procedures for our web development classes so the school didn't get sued, and to be able to turn out developers who didn't get sued when they shot pics for customers sites. That and shooting news for the last couple years in my spare time. It's a convoluted hard to follow concept most times, I just would hate to see anyone get their a$$ in a sling over doing something they love to do, just because they didn't have all the information.

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:00 am

Right, well that was my second guess, copywrite in this country (US) has just gotten out of hand their is what makes sence and then there is the crazy.

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:01 pm

Originally posted by Faldor
Camclub should also point out its not allowed to film a bank or post office in the United British Welsh Kingdom place (if thats not right nothing is! )

cos you could be an international terrorist or somin

plus my teacher said it so it must be true!

According to the British Film Comission, there is no issue with regards to that. If you're filming inside these places, then you need permission. Airports are also another such place, although apparently airports are very happy to offer filming opportunities, they'll even allow access to areas of the airport that the public are prohibited from for the filming!

[Edited on 1-10-2003 by CamClub]

windog · Post by **windog** » Thu May 05, 2005 4:14 pm

why edit your own post????

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Thu May 05, 2005 4:22 pm

That was random. Perhaps I had something to change or add to it. It was back in October 2003 I posted that after all. Perhaps there was a typing error that corrected. Who on earth knows or really cares?

You're not spaming now are you? What does editing my posts have to do with the topic???

I'm keeping an eye on you now Windog!

Since this post was made, a friend of mine, who is a movie producer as actually filmed a movieat Heathrow airport. Their security was very helpful and allowed them airside access, as well as access onto planes and security tight airport areas.

windog · Post by **windog** » Thu May 05, 2005 4:33 pm

no, i really was not uping my posts. I was just wondering if you have become a mod so you can edit your own p0sts!!

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Thu May 05, 2005 4:36 pm

?????????????

Well I'm confused. Everyone can edit their own posts. I often edit my own. That's what the edit button is for. Or am I missing something here? And why mention it in this thread that has nothing to do with editing posts?

Ornsack · Post by **Ornsack** » Thu May 05, 2005 4:52 pm

windog wrote:why edit your own post????

Cus he made a mistake...?

Meade87 · Post by **Meade87** » Thu May 05, 2005 8:27 pm

Well this thread is basicly aimed for the UK and Europe mostly. However, for the people in the Western World (United States of America) we are not as free to do whatever we want. HaHaHa so much for the land of the free.
In the US the federal government has very limited control therefore the laws of filming in public areas and general filming restrictions is decided by the states. In New York, you need a permit to film in any public place. Park, Street, Boardwalk, anywhere that is outside basically. However, since New York is begining to compete with California therefore it is very easy to obtain a permit. Their is even a permit you can get online @ nyc.gov that is good for a day. Also, most of the law is loose and easy about filming if your polite when a patrol car rolls up on you than you are okay, and no matter what you are always a student. It is much harder for htem to screw with you if your doing it for school because of Freedom of Education. Be Carefull in the US and make sure you know your laws. In New York their is no informing the local police department. Becuase their are so many officers that no one would be informed anyway, and they would send you through a million people and you would never get an answer.