Monday, June 13, 2005

Meanwhile...Across The Ocean

Meanwhile, over in Airstrip One:

THIRTY armed police officers swooped on a shocked group of A-level media students after mistaking them for gun-wielding gangsters.

The seven students, who were brandishing three fake guns bought from a sweet shop, were dressed in sharp suits and were recording a film as part of their studies.

And the police had them under surveillance for an hour before swooping in on them. One would think that someone would have noticed the camera.

Police Officer and part time movie director Joe Ripple has some advice for avoiding problems with the police during the film making process.

For example:

Most precincts I've been to have a "roll call" book. This is a book where important information is given to officers before they hit the street. Dropping off information about your shoot a few days beforehand, can help you avoid problems. Information should contain location, time, scene description, and contact phone numbers. The day of the shoot, call the precinct that the shoot is going to occur in and remind the desk officer. When we did our robbery scene for "Harvesters," not only did I call the local county police, but the state police as well.

Not that this would actually work in an ultra-nanny state like the United Kingdom. There's a reason we turfed out the so-called betters two-hundred and thirty-nine years ago. But actually stating it would be a thoughtcrime.
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