No fotos of movie sets in public?

In our town, film crews occasionally shoot movies in the summer months. They often use sets "on location" with some small barricades (if any) for the pedestrians.

I love taking pictures of this stuff, yet they always have some gorillas screaming "No fotos!" at you.

Do they have any legal leg to stand on?

My take is, they don't as long as I'm standing on public ground from where I take the picture.

I wonder what happens if I would let the situation escalate. Will they call the cops? And then what?

 

If it is out in the public, it's public.



Mark

 

shoot away, it's called public for a reason and they can't do anything to stop you other than ask nicely.

 

Years ago when I owned a storefront business, a movie company shot a scene inside and in front of a neighboring business. The overwhelming way that they attempted to take over the entire vicinity was over the top. They tried to cut off traffic to and from my business and didn't want any photos taken of anything (you probably never heard of any of the "stars"). I made it clear that their production did not include me or any of my customers and that they weren't going to get any cooperation. As I suspected, there was a little "shut up and leave us alone" money in the budget. That was the only real arrow they had in their quiver.

 

They bark loudly so you'll be afraid. But that's about all they can legally do.

 

Here ya go
Took this at a movie set last week
I believe the lens and camera recreate the look that the video camera makes
There are more shots i took but worthless at best
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Pardon my ignorance but who is this?

BTW: invigorated by all the responses I will go to the set tomorrow

 

Might be a director..if you look at the ground where he is standing there are trolly tracks,
about 300 ft of double track was down
when they were actually filming he followed the camera trolley with his camera
I saw a man and a women being filmed multiple times,
this was not a big movie, probably a TV series..
In NYC they are prevelent everywhere..anyone can shoot from an apartment window with a zoom.
Its a scoff law at best

 

They can't stop you unless you are within the zone they permitted. Assistant directors are notorious for being Napoleonic. Just laugh at them.

 

It seems to come down to the definition of that zone: is a pedestrian walkway left for the building inhabitants to get to their apartments or for customers to go to shops within that zone still public grounds or not?
That might be the legal grey area.

At any rate I got my 500mm tele lens with me today...

 

If you can see it from a spot in which you have a legal right to be, you're good to go. There's no debating it. If it can be seen from public land, they cannot do a thing to stop you. If the movie production crew has no authority via their permit to forbid you to be in the area you are, then you're in the clear to watch and take whatever pics you deem necessary.


Mark