guns in public

crazy8 · Post by **crazy8** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 7:04 pm

in my latest movie, i intend to have a huge gun battle in the middle of a street in the daytime. is there anyway to get round this without police snipers taking shots at me?

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 8:01 pm

is this the middle of a big subermen street or a city street. Well eather way the best thing to do is call the cops and inform them that you are working on an amiture film and you are notifying them of fake gun useage.

SgtPadrino · Post by **SgtPadrino** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 9:26 pm

And I highly doubt they are going to go for it. There are people on those streets, after all, and unless you want to get surrounded by cops sticking glocks stuck in your face, then gosh, go for it buddy! BE SMART. Remember, YOU CAN GET KILLED FOR THIS KIND OF s***. Just because you may have gotten permission from the police station doesn't mean that there won't be any attention paid to a bunch of people in the middle of the street with guns. Cops tend to be trigger happy, so my advice is to rewrite the script and CHANGE THE LOCATION.

[Edited on 26-11-2003 by SgtPadrino]

Sayhi · Post by **Sayhi** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 9:32 pm

I agree. If it was a public place like a park etc. you could put some work in progress tape (like the do not cross police in red with white stripes) but a street with traffic is a totally different thing. You can find a way to make your camera operator visible from a big distance, for example by wearing a phosphorescent jacket or sth like that, so that everyone understands that the guns are fake. If the guns are BB Guns and you are not using cap gun replicas and you will add the muzzle flashes and sounds in editing, you may be able to shoot the scene. You could also try finding a road with extremely low traffic and use actors for pedestrians, but do you have enough actors to do that?

Also consider:
How are the pedestrians going to act when the shooting begins? I mean if you don't want to get busted and you don't use cap guns, the pedestrians will not act naturally, will not run or duck and this may seem like a cheap production.

FIND ANOTHER WAY 'ROUND. IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THE SCENE LOOK CLASSY AND THE PRODUCTION LOOK LIKE A GOOD ONE, THEN DON'T TRY IT.

SgtPadrino · Post by **SgtPadrino** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 9:38 pm

No, that's not what I'm saying. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THE CAMERA MAN IS VISIBLE, the realistic looking BB guns that you will be using CAN GET YOU KILLED. I CANNOT stress this enough. DO NOT film this kind of a scene in ANY SORT OF PUBLIC PLACE AT f*** ALL. Do you realize how many people have been shot holding BB guns because cops thought that they were real? You're being too short sighted. DO NOT FILM A GUNFIGHT IN A PUBLIC PLACE.

[Edited on 26-11-2003 by SgtPadrino]

Bent_Barrel · Post by **Bent_Barrel** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 10:00 pm

The liberals have made it safe so that other citizens won't shoot back at you, you only have to worry about the cops, and come to think of it, thats all the criminals have to think about to... hmmm...

I doint think I would brandish a firearm lookalike in public like that. Someone may take a pot shot at you, it had happened before where citizens had firearms and whacked away at gunwaving criminals during their crime spree too. You may not only have to worry about the cops... If you made people drive down the sidewalk and run over someone because they thought it was real youd probably be held liable as well for that too...

The boys n the hood scene (I thiknn it was) where Doughboy (Ide Cube) was at the swap meet and gunfire started was like that, they didnt tell them there was gunfire and everyone freaked and got the *&^% outta dodge lol...

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 10:09 pm

The liberals have made it safe so that other citizens won't shoot back at you, you only have to worry about the cops, and come to think of it, thats all the criminals have to think about to... hmmm...

Your obvusly not in the south, everybody has a gun down here. There is a town in Kanses where it is illigal not to own a gun.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 11:49 pm

I think in this day and age it would be an incredibley hard job to pull this off, especialli in daylight and in public. Certainly ask law enforcement and your local council etc. But even i , a master guerilla film maker, would not try this under those conditions

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 1:26 am

Originally posted by crazy8
in my latest movie, i intend to have a huge gun battle in the middle of a street in the daytime. is there anyway to get round this without police snipers taking shots at me?

I don't know what country you're in, but do a search on here for "Legal". There's some information posted there giving information on how to formerly apply for filming permits, where you can actually get the police to help with scenes like the one you want to film. Otherwise, film in a private area, have loads of extras walking by making it look like a public area! Good Luck!

U.S.Amateurfilmaker · Post by **U.S.Amateurfilmaker** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 2:08 am

I recently did a scene with fake guns for a school project, and a way to get around it is to simply notify your neighbors or any people in the area, so the don't call the poilce. This is only feasible in a silent/calm street however, and not a main street.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 3:56 am

Near any shops and in a main street! I think you are pushing poo up hill, but still try

death to traitors · Post by **death to traitors** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 6:28 am

i say f*ck it, the cops come and beat your a** you got good footage! the cops dont come and you make a great scene you got good footage you cant loose! i would go for it as long as you dont modify the guns or threaten any people you are good the cops arent going to start s*** with you for f*** around with toy guns (or some a** hole cop might) but i would do it who cares you only live once.

SgtPadrino · Post by **SgtPadrino** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 6:33 am

Are you f*** retarded? The cops will not come "beat your a**". If they do not place you under arrest, THEY WILL SHOOT YOU. If somebody has something that resembles a gun, THEY ARE GOING TO COME AFTER YOU. Jesus christ, you know what, go ahead and wave an airsoft gun around in public, I don't care. If you really think that they're not going to start s*** with you cause it's a BB gun, by all means, you deserve to get shot. You only live once, but you live much shorter if you're as stupid as that. I mean damn, wouldn't it be insane if some "nob cop" actually DID HIS JOB and responded to a bunch of kids running around in the middle of a street with realistic looking guns? But damn, that's just f*** crazy, isn't it?

Jass Films · Post by **Jass Films** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 10:08 am

First you should notify the council that you will be filming on their land. Second you should notify the police and make them aware of the place you are filming and the times. It may also be a good idea if you could get a policeman or two to be at the shoot, so any onlookers can also be aware of the filming. You may also want to notify any neighbouring houses if there are any so they don't call the police or complain aswell.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 12:05 pm

I just heard a funny story. These friends of my ex-housemate were going to a paintball venue (getting rare these days with the tighter gun control) and for some reason one of them bought with him a toy pistol. He waved it out the window at a passing car. Now little did he know but that was a car full of undercover cops

They pulled them over, searched them at gun point and now he is awaiting trial:o
Up there for thinking mate!!!!

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 4:21 pm

ya just be very careful with toy guns because most countrys will arrest you and make life very unfun, unless you live in America in which case the cops are defently more likely to just shoot your a**, I see it on the news a few times every year.

Reiji · Post by **Reiji** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 5:06 pm

I've filmed a gunfight in a residential area, in a square of about ten houses in a large street. With a block of flats nearby.

And nobody noticed. No problem at all.

But that was in 2001 before the police started getting trigger-happy against people with BB guns. Strange how the cops shoot kids with BB guns happily but don't fire on criminals.

I wouldn't try filming a public gunfight these days 'guerilla'-style, so I advise you to get permission from the police and get them to tape the area off.

SgtPadrino · Post by **SgtPadrino** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 5:57 pm

Um, that's not the way it happens in America. Cops know that their lives are on the line everytime they put on the uniform, so they open fire on people who are just reaching for their wallets. Sadly it happens all the time. And believe me, they're more likely to shoot you when you have a replica rifle in your hands.

crazy8 · Post by **crazy8** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 8:26 pm

so its a big no no to a public gunfight. i think my dad knows a cop. maybe he could pull a few strings.

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 8:48 pm

just don't try it, unless you have a cop like in uniform on set, and cordened off sections so that people know its a movie, but you probably won't be able to pull that off, I would rewrite.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » Fri Nov 28, 2003 2:00 am

I would post signs in the area saying that you are entering a films set, come in at your own risk, and also notify the police, have some officers there to supervise, you may want them to check the guns before use, so they know what they are, if there is business there i would say notify them too.

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Fri Nov 28, 2003 2:13 am

Like I said, do a search on here for Legal, and it explains how to go about doing some of that stuff for filming in public!

death to traitors · Post by **death to traitors** » Fri Nov 28, 2003 3:18 am

they do not place you under arrest, THEY WILL SHOOT YOU.

wow you could be the dumbest person i ever met!!!! a cop is not going to shoot you dumba*s. i live in iowa just like you so dont miss represent sht around here.
i have an uncle who is dead now(not from the cops) but just a few years back he was being arrested at his house and walked out with guns pointed at police! want to know what they did...no they didnt shoot they begged him to put it down. police officers dont shoot untill they are shot at or have a gun pointed at them and they feel the person will shoot them first. they just dont walk around shooting because if they shoot you they are f*cked as well.

so my point is you got a guy taping you with toy guns in a street and the cops pull up, they shoot you they go to jail because cops must notice what is going on around them and put 2 and 2 together. at the worst they tell you to drop the guns.. you act like a smart a** ant they rough you up a bit. now im not saying you could run down a street in a ski mask with a toy gun in your hand and get away with it you will go to jail. but any one that knows anything about law enforcment in the us know most cops die from getting shot because they are not allowed to pull out a gun and start shooting when things look fishy they have to have the gun pointed at them or must be shot at first....as for this getting shot for grabing a billfold thing i gurantee that cop is in jail right now. if you want to see examples because you dont have a police officer friend watch cops and learn i have seen cops get knifes thrown at them and not shoot! because they know they can end it with out killing the person... you watch to much reno 911 those arent real cops that is a spoof tv show!

foxwood · Post by **foxwood** » Fri Nov 28, 2003 4:41 am

I'm not saying it is somthing that happons offten but it does happon. When you have people who are under payed, stressed out things happon. Some cops don't always ask before they shoot. s*** happons, granted most the people who get shot with fake guns are being dumbasses with them, but not a year goes by with out some kid acidetaly getting shot because he was doing somthing stupid with a fake gun.

death to traitors · Post by **death to traitors** » Fri Nov 28, 2003 5:02 am

if a kid gets shot by a cop he deserved it! you dont have to worry about dieing when you are in the middle of a street with fake guns and cameras and and taping