Although there are times when I like to just roam around with a camera and let instinct and luck lead the way, I have found that for me, planning my shooting day is truly a valuable asset.
Often, I will spend a day scouting several areas with a still camera and log the locations in a small notebook. I write down the location that I am standing at, as well as the direction and elevation of the composition that I see. I also write down the time of day and the position of the sun. If I see a cool shot of the sun reflecting off the windows of a high rise building on the west side of town at 4pm, you can be pretty certain that it won’t be there at any other time of day.
Another thing I try to note is whether there is economical parking nearby and if not, where is the closest location. It’s also important to know if an area is private or restricted. Yesterday, I ran into problems with both.
As much of my filming is conducted on the west side of Manhattan, I decided to spend the latter part of my day concentrating on the east side, near 42nd Street. The area is a bit elevated I had seen some great possibilities while cruising down Second Ave a few days prior, so I jumped right in.
Absolutely. Not.
As it was Saturday, I drove around the area for a few minutes to see if there was any chance of legal street parking. This is a long shot in NYC and misreading a sign can be a very costly mistake. Sometimes, getting a ticket for parking illegally is a blessing compared to the nightmare of having your car towed away.
Seeing that there was nothing available, I parked in a nearby garage. The sun would soon be going down and I was anxious to get on with my shooting. Apparently, too anxious to notice it was one of NYC's more expensive facilities.
I grabbed my gear and headed for 2nd Avenue. The sun, low in the January sky backlit the all the cars and traffic signals. It was gorgeous!
Suddenly, the constant roar of traffic was broken by the squawk of a police radio followed by a tap on my shoulder.
“Uh… What are you’re doing?” the officer inquired.
“I’m filming NYC.” I responded confidently, although a moment later, it felt like a dumb thing to say.
Then again, here I was looking through a camera...
The New York City Film Board, the agency in charge of issuing filming permits, states on there website that you are allowed to film on city streets and sidewalks, without a permit, as long as you have nothing more than a camera and tripod. Anything more, like a grip stand or sand bag requires a permit, which they will happily provide. So, I knew that I was acting according to the city rules.
To make a long story short, I had parked my tripod near a building that housed a foreign embassy and although there were no signs or warnings, I was now doing something that was apparently, very illegal and subject to arrest.
The officer was pretty cool and he had noted that I was pointing my camera at the street and not the embassy. He explained the situation and asked how long I’d be.
The shot was already in the can, so I said, “I’m done.” and began closing my tripod.
Not two seconds later a van filled with more police officers appeared from behind me, siren whooping away.
“Whaddayathink your doin’?” A voice barked at me.
This time, I was interrogated, a bit less politely; by an officer whose use of adjectives, combined with a Brooklyn accent, clearly illustrated his point of view.
Nonetheless, he explained that the embassy that I was filming near was private property and that due to NYC’s heightened security, filming this close to the United Nations (a few blocks away on First Avenue) required a special filming permit if you are going to use a pro camera and tripod. Finally, he said that this permit is to be issued by the community affairs department for that area.
He checked my ID and after a minute, released me.
As I intend to film more in the area, I’ll certainly seek the agency that can provide me with the permit. And as Murphy’s Law has illustrated time and time again, as soon as I have the permit, nobody will ask to see it. Maybe I look more confident with it.
That is a great and terrible story. I understand the need for added security though. Perhaps instead of filming your own stuff, you should just cut up the intro to Welcome Back Kotter.
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