Making Art Without Permits

It happens all the time. People exercising their creative freedom but still using common sense and a proper respect for neighbors and collaborators go into public parks and shoot their footage without a government issued permit. Part of the ScreenLabs Challenge is to figure out how to use the location in Prospect Park, Minneapolis near the Witches Hat Water Tower. It is all in the craft of being resourceful and, don't forget tactful and diplomatic - a skill essential to being a filmmaker.

Unless you are obstructing traffic, being a nuisance to the neighborhood, using pyrotechnics, or engaged in illegal activity like public nudity or welding a firearm, it isn't likely that anyone will say or do anything to stop you from shooting. Police enforcement is not focused on stopping average citizens (and think of yourself as average) from video taping in public parks. Public spaces are meant for public use. There are no laws that say you cannot run a video camera in a public park. In the past 25 years we've never been forced to pay for a public permit to shoot a Screenlabs production and I've on a number of commercial and journalist shoots that didn't use a permit in public spaces. This is all a part of the challenge. If you want to pay for permits you are welcome.

For good reasons. cities and parks will require permits for circumstances that dramatically impact or preclude other users of public property. This is a common decency you should respect. Be mindful of equipment format: Choose camera and equipment type, such as cranes, rain towers, dolly track, etc, that will NOT impede use of sidewalks or roadways. Do not bring grip and equipment trucks on location. And, it is probably best not to use even a tripod. If your gear footprint resembles that of a tourist shooting a home movie -- all the better.

Keep the number of crew people involved in the shoot for that particular location to a minimum including production personnel, cast members and extras. Parking is a consideration that should be closely monitored as to not congest the streets and drawn undue attention to your shoot. Remember, you can always shoot b-roll with just a barebones, shake and bake crew and leave all the PAs, assistants, script continuity and excess crew out. If you plan ahead you can use a stripped down crew.

Most importantly, if you try to "act like" professionals and use arrogance when dealing with either the police or general public you will get tossed out. If you interfere with and fail to respect other public uses you will get tossed out. And if you overstay your welcome you will be tossed out.

The artists from Improv Everywhere, a New York public performance art group, have managed a very complicated take-over of Grand Central Station in New York by a flash mob and using digital video, have documented a large scale performance piece with a couple of hundred extra's and wired principle performers. And they are able to do it with high quality, good audio and excellent lighting due to the portability of modern digital video equipment. They didn't have a permit and that is a lot more difficult in Grand Central Station than anywhere in Minnesota.

And if you do it right, you'll leave people amazed and maybe even applauding as you walk away.