GUERRILLA FILM-MAKING (what does it mean, what does it entail)
Bruce Bisbey…please check me out
at our blog: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com
There is always an opportunity to
find a location and shooting that, off the wall, on the spot shot or guerrilla
style shot. I recommend asking for permission. Getting a permit is always the
best way. If you cannot afford a permit then ask, let them know straight up
what you are doing. They will give you a yes or no. Offer them a credit or a
thank you, let them be an extra, make a friend. If it is a no, then move on,
there is always a location. Also be careful with showing signage, images and
people’s faces/profiles. If you shoot a sign or image, you can graphically
remove them. Or phone or email them with a simple clearance request, it can be
done with little or no cost. Think out of the box, use your imagination.
Disclaimer: Before reading this
it’s important to note that if you choose to shoot Guerrilla style (without
permits) you are doing so at your own risk. Depending on how and where you
shoot, you may be subject to fines, fees and other legal complications. Take
these tips below with a grain of salt and know that should you choose to start
shooting without permits, any complications that may arise are solely your own
responsibility.
Guerrilla film-making refers to a
form of independent film-making characterized by low budgets, skeleton crews,
and simple props using whatever is available. Often scenes are shot quickly in
real locations without any warning, and without obtaining filming permits.
Guerrilla film-making is usually
done by independent filmmakers because they don't have the budget to get
permits, rent out locations, or build expensive sets. Larger and more
"mainstream" film studios tend to avoid guerrilla film-making tactics
because of the risk of being sued, fined or having their reputation damaged due
to negative PR exposure.
According to Yukon Film
Commission Manager Mark Hill, "Guerrilla film-making is driven by passion
with whatever means at hand".
The advent of digital cameras and
home computer editing systems such as Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer and
Premiere are a contributing factor to the increase in guerrilla film-making.
Digital editing is a cheap and easy form of editing that allows the filmmaker
to edit anywhere and at a low budget.
Many guerrilla filmmakers are now
using professional quality digital cameras because of their cheap cost, and the
ability to set up shots quickly.
Many films have used digital
cameras in the place of film cameras such as: 28 Days Later, Miami Vice and Sin
City. One recent film shot on consumer camcorders that has received major
attention and awards is My Date with Drew, directed by Brian Herzlinger. The
first crowdfunded Indian Kannada movie "Lucia" also was effectively
shot using Canon 5D.
For anyone who isn’t familiar
with the term, “guerrilla” shooting essentially means shooting your film in
public with no permits and in most cases, no permission from any property
owners for that matter. This may sound to some like a completely unprofessional
way of shooting (and in some cases it very well can be), but there are some
very notable examples of films shot entirely without permits. One of the most
famous examples is the Oscar winning masterpiece “The French Connection” which
was shot in New York City with a sizable crew and no location permits
whatsoever. Another recent example was the film titled “Escape From Tomorrow”
which was amazingly shot inside of Disney World without any permission at all.
Pretty amazing for a feature film with many shooting days!
There are also countless
television shows (mainly reality/lifestyle) that shoot nearly everything
without permits. Even larger scale productions shoot without permits fairly
regularly, although in most cases they do so for a select few scenes or shots,
as was done with the film “Black Swan”. In their case, the subway scenes were
all shot without permits on a Canon 7D.
Before we go into some advice on
how to get away with shooting this way, let’s take a look at some of the pros
and cons:
Pros
These are pretty obvious. The
main benefit to shooting guerrilla style is that you can save a lot of money by
avoiding permits and the corresponding insurance that you need to obtain the
permit. To put it in perspective, in LA,
even if you just want to shoot a small scene with a single actor and a camera
operator on the sidewalk (without blocking traffic), you’re looking at a
minimum permit fee of $700 or so. On top of that, you are required to be
insured which will likely cost another $600 – $800 as most film insurance
companies set that range as their minimum. So right off the bat, you’re looking
at paying somewhere in the range of $1500.
Should you choose to go Guerrilla
though, that number quickly drops down to $0. The other big advantage to
consider is the amount time that it can save you. On a tiny production, every
last second counts and getting permits does take time. It can often take
several days, or even weeks to successfully get your permit and during that
time you need to provide the city or permitting office with the appropriate
forms, information and insurance certificates. Multiply that by the amount of
locations you have and you can quickly add up how much time you may spend just
dealing with permitting. So all in all, the biggest advantages here are saving
money and time.
Cons
Again these may be pretty obvious
to some, but the allure of shooting without permits sometimes draws attention
away from the realities of doing so. The biggest issue here is that you can get
shut down. Getting shut down in a worst case scenario, literally means having
the Police ask to see your permit, realizing you have no permission to be
shooting, writing you a very large fine, confiscating your equipment and
sending you on your way.
Depending on the city or state
that you’re in, the rules and regulations differ, so depending on which city
you’re shooting in, this may be a large concern. If you’re shooting Guerrilla,
but still have union actors for instance, you now have to pay your actors for a
full day of work even if you get shut down 5 minutes in. You will also need to
pay your crew of course, and it’s just a downright bad situation to be in. With
that said, if you’re smart about how, when and where you shoot without permits
– the likelihood of this happening isn’t huge.
So on to the fun part. Now that
you’ve decided to go ahead and take your chances shooting without permission,
here are 8 tips for getting away with it:
#1 – Keep Your Crew as Small As
Possible
Probably the most important item
on this list, hence why it’s number 1. The bigger your crew, the more attention
you’re going to draw. The general public loves to gather around and watch a
movie getting shot. In fact for whatever reason most people seem to be
fascinated by it. The more your team looks like a film crew, the larger the
crowd will be that starts surrounding you.
And for any business owners,
police, residents, etc. in the area that take notice of this, they are going to
approach you and ask what’s going on. This is a big red flag as generally
anyone that needs to be aware of shooting being done in the area will be made
aware as a result of your permit, and you’re very likely to get shut down if
you shoot with a big crew. Keep it as small as possible. Have only the actors,
director and DP visible (I’ll touch on audio later on). Anyone else that is on
your crew – PA’s, Makeup, Craft, etc. absolutely needs to be out of sight. They
can hang back by the car or production van and when you need them, call to them
– (On a cell phone by the way, not a radio, that’s another dead giveaway). The
more you can make it look like a single guy or girl holding a camera shooting
their friends, the better...
#2 – Shoot on a DSLR
Or any other inconspicuous
camera. The Blackmagic Pocket Camera for instance would be a great camera for
guerrilla shooting as it has an extremely stealth form factor. The point here,
much like number 1, is to draw as little attention to yourself as possible.
Even a T3i or equivalent is going
to look the same or larger to the average person, and people are used to seeing
anyone and everyone walking around with one. The more you can blend in, the
better. And the smaller your camera is, the less likely you are to get hassled.
If you start walking around with a Red MX rigged up and expect not to get
noticed, you’re playing a very risky game. Even on professional sets when I
shoot with a DSLR, often producers question the quality of the footage. Put
that out on the street where you blend in with everyone else, and the average
public with think you’re just another tourist filming your friends hanging out.
#3 – Hide The Audio
Probably the biggest giveaway
that you are shooting a semi-professional production is a big boom mic swinging
around. A group of actors, a camera, and a couple of filmmakers hanging around
could easily be disguised as friends trying out a new camera. But once there is
a pro-looking boom mic being run into a recorder or mixer – there is no fooling
anyone. Your best bet for audio is to get some really great wireless lav mics
and have your audio recordist hide his or her gear. What many filmmakers will
do is have the audio recorder in a car, or a backpack with the recordist
hanging around nearby. They can easily control the recording inconspicuously
without being right in the midst of all of the action...
#4 – Avoid using a Tripod
As painful as this may be for
some (especially if you hate the handheld look), another big issue for
guerrilla filmmakers is the tripod. In many cities where film permitting is
strict, one of the things that can give you away is your tripod. Once you have
sticks on the ground, the production starts to look larger and more suspicious.
Ideally you want to opt for a mono-pod or very inconspicuous shoulder mount.
The smaller the better.
If you absolutely need to shoot
with a Tripod, than go ahead and do it, but be very careful and take extra care
to ensure that you…
#5 – Choose The Right Locations
Some locations are much easier
than others to shoot in. For instance, in Los Angeles, filmmakers often shoot
in the downtown core without any issue, but in an area like Beverly Hills, you
are much more likely to get asked for a permit. Every city is different and
every area has different regulations and policies on film permitting. But if
you do your research you’ll quickly be able to figure out which areas are the
most “filmmaker friendly” and can choose your locations as needed. The other
thing you may find as you start to look into this is that many cities have
areas where you don’t need permits or where permits are free. You still need to
provide insurance and go through the paperwork process to get the permit, but
it didn’t cost anything to do so. If your production can make use of free
permit areas like we did, it may end up being worth your while to get the
insurance you need and then save on the permits. After all, if you do get shut
down, your fees and extra expenses will far exceed what the insurance would
have cost you. Assuming you opt to shoot in true guerrilla style though, make
sure to…
#6 – Work Quickly
The longer you are on set, the
longer you are being exposed to the general public. If you need time to rehearse,
do makeup, get audio levels, or anything else for that matter, make sure to do
this first in a different location. Even if it’s around the corner. When you’re
ready to go, move to your shooting location, get what you need and get out as
quickly as possible. If you’re smart about how you manage your time and avoid
lingering around on “set” when you don’t need to be there, you will greatly
reduce your exposure and increase your chance of success.
#7 – Don’t Forget To Plan
Going hand in hand with Working
Quickly, is planning. Some locations may be very easy to shoot at during the
day, but not at night. Or the reverse may be true. Some locations may be easy
to shoot at during a certain point in the day, but the lighting isn’t right
until later. The point is that you need to do your homework and plan as much as
possible. Go out to the locations you want to shoot at with your camera and
take some test shots. Scope it out and see where the least conspicuous areas
are to shoot. Don’t just show up and go. By planning properly you are not only
making certain that you have the right location, but you will also be able to
work more efficiently by arriving on set prepared. A big part of planning also
involved what to do in a situation where you do get shut down. If you’re on a
location that is particularly risky, you may want to shoot on smaller media
cards and run them to the car every few minutes to make sure if anything gets
confiscated, at least you have some of your footage. And if all else fails –
#8 – Tell Them The Truth and Be
Prepared to Move
At one point or another you are
bound to get asked about your shoot. Normally, people are actually very nice
about this and aren’t too concerned about permitting unless you’re in a high
traffic area. Most often, people (including local police) may just want to
watch or are curious as to what you’re doing. But you will have those times
when you’re approached and asked for a permit and you get someone who is just
in a bad mood. There are a number of responses you can give, but I recommend
telling the truth, smiling and moving on...
Bottom Line
If you’re careful about it, you
can get away with shooting guerrilla just about anywhere. The largest and
smallest of productions have all done it, and with the right mix of preparation,
minimal gear and stealth crew members, you can very well get away with shooting
with no permits. If you do choose to go down this path though, it can never
hurt to look for free permit areas that will allow you to have longer shoot
days without the hassle or worry of shooting guerrilla style. And depending on
how your production is set up, you may want to invest in some production
insurance regardless, as even if you are shooting guerrilla and don’t need it
for that reason, it can save you a lot of money down the road if something goes
wrong in another way...
Sources: Google, IMDB, Pinterest,
Wikipedia, Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, Emanuel Levy, Film Maker,
Indie Wire, Noam Kroll, How Stuff Works, Creative Live, No Film School
Another interesting article.
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