Rules & Guidelines

1.0 CABLING

1.1 All cables must be made safe as they are laid and not at some later time.

1.2 Cables must be laid in the gutter along the highway or in the junction between a wall and the footway.

1.3 Cables on steps must be taped down to avoid the risk of tripping.

1.4 Wherever possible cables should be flown at a minimum 17’ (5.2m) above a public carriageway and 8’6” (2.6m) above footways. The FiLM Office will, wherever possible, seek to make generator parking available which avoids the need to cable across the highway.

1.5 If there is a need to lay cabling across a footway there may be times when it will be sufficient to lay cables at right angles under a taped rubber mat. This matting should be;

a) a minimum of one metre wide, and;

b) visible to the public by proper lighting, cones or high-visibility hazard tape.

1.6 Rubber matting should be regarded as essential safety equipment and carried as a matter of course.

1.7 On quieter roads it may be permissible to lay cables using proper cable ramps. If so then appropriate signage must be used and clearance given by the Borough FiLM Office.

1.8 It is essential to gain clearance from the Borough FiLM Office before any cables are attached to street furniture

2.0 CATERING and FACILITIES

2.1 Catering wagons and make-up caravans may be parked at the road-side provided that adequate arrangements are made for the disposal of waste water into a suitable drain and that no hoses or cables are taken across the pavement since these may constitute a hazard. Dining tables or steps to the kitchen hatchway must not obstruct the pavement: please remember that people congregate at these points and this may cause an obstruction at mealtimes.

2.2 Location managers are encouraged to use local halls etc. for dining , costume and make-up in order to minimise the number of vehicles in the unit. Likewise they should, where possible investigate off-street parking areas for unit bases.

3.0 CHARGES

3.1 There is no charge for filming in the street since to make one would be illegal. However a charge may be made for time spent by Officers in arranging a shoot, for example, co-ordinating with the local police, other emergency services and relevant Council Departments to ensure that the proposed shoot is safe and the minimum of inconvenience. The FiLM Office can also help in checking that there are no road workings or other events planned near the location for the shooting day(s) though adequate time is required to ensure this. Production Companies are reminded that charges are liable to be higher the less notice the FiLM Office has.

3.2 FILM OFFICER TIME

Hourly rate £65 Plus VAT

Not charged on:

• enquiries

• advice

• visits with the location manager to Council locations

• time spent administering locations when a location fee has already been charged

• anything that falls within the Local Authority’s duty of care.

Chargeable when:

• the FiLM Officer is required to arrange things for a film company in public places or where no other fee is charged such as when arranging parking. (An estimate of what this will cost is usually given at the outset so the production make a deposit as provision against this. If the job proves more complicated than expected and it looks as if the provision may be exceeded advance warning is given before this happens.)

• the unit is over a certain size i.e. more than ten people and three vehicles and there is no dedicated Location Manager employed and the FiLM Officer sees the need to fulfil this function. Similarly when the FiLM Officer ends up assisting the Location Manager to do his job because no assistant has been employed.

• When there has not been a proper recce of the location and/or insufficient information has been passed to the FiLM Office to assess whether the shoot will or can be carried out safely and, as a result a FiLM Officer has to attend the shoot to make this evaluation and/or ensure this.

• When a shoot is subject to specific requirements and a FiLM Office has to attend the shoot e.g. on a night shoot, to ensure compliance

• an Officer is called to the location to investigate a complaint under either the Health and Safety Act, the Highways Act, Road Traffic Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Children’s Act or a breach of the local regulations for street filming and that complaint is found to be valid

• there is a breach in the terms of a licence and the Officer has to investigate.

• When the FiLM Office has to clear up after a production e.g by arranging a re-instatement, removing unit signs, clearing rubbish.

3.3 Any damage caused by a production company to the carriageway, footway or street furniture will be charged for.

4.0 CHILDREN

4.1 The employment of child actors is governed by licensing regulations made in 1933, 1963, 1968 and amended in 1988.

4.2 Producers must make adequate provision for the education and health needs of all children employed when filming.

4.3 A child is a young person of less than 15 years old or still subject to full time education.

4.4 Any filming involving the employment of children (whether paid or unpaid) must be cleared through the local authority’s Education Welfare service.

5.0 CONING

5.1 Cones have no legal force to secure parking and their use must be agreed with the Borough FiLM Office.

6.0 CONSULTATION

6.1 Successful filming relies upon the local residents and business receiving at least one-week’s notice. The Borough FiLM Office may be able to provide contact details needed for consultation.

6.2 Letters should be sent to local residents and businesses outlining fully the intended filming and include;

a) Date, time and exact location of filming

b) Date of letter

c) Location Manager and the Borough FiLM Officer’s contact numbers

d) Number of crew or production personnel expected on location

e) Clear details of any stunts or dressing planned

f) Clear details of lighting plans

g) Clear details of parking proposals

A sample letter can be supplied if requested or click here to download an example of what a good letter might contain.

6.3 The Production Company should follow the advice of the Borough FiLM Office concerning residents and local businesses.

6.4 The Production is to give a call-sheet to The FiLM Office as soon as it becomes available.

7.0 COURTESY

7.1 Crew members will act at all times with exemplary courtesy

8.0 CRANES, CAMERA CRANES and AERIAL PLATFORMS

8.1 When planning to use cherry-pickers or cranes on the public highway, the Borough FiLM Office must be informed and clearance given even if there are no ordinary parking restrictions. The location manager or crane hire company must also discuss the exact positioning of such equipment with the FiLM Officer and the conditions of any permission granted should be adhered to at all times.

8.2 At night or in conditions of poor visibility, warning lights should be placed around the cherry-picker or crane.

8.3 Rigging or de-rigging must be carried out at times that will not cause an unreasonable noise or nuisance.

9.0 DRIVING SHOTS

9.1 Where scenes are being shot inside a vehicle, and the artiste at the wheel has dialogue or is on-camera, the vehicle must either be towed by another on an A-frame or on a low-loader.

10.0 FILMING ON COUNCIL PROPERTY

10.1 Whenever filming is to be carried out on Council-owned property e.g. in parks a licence is to be negotiated with the FiLM Office. This applies to schools and residences even when the occupier will receive the bulk of or all the location fee.

11.0 FIREARMS

11.1 No firearms of any kind are to be used without the consent of the police and the FiLM Office

11.2 Whenever firearms are used in a scene, whether these are dummies or not, there must be an armoured on site at all times.

11.3 Each weapon is to be signed out to the individual who will use it in the scene: each individual will be personally responsible for the weapon until it is signed back in to the armourer at the end of the shoot.

Notes: The descriptions highway, carriageway and footway used in this document are in conjunction with The Highways Act (1986)

The description Production refers to every type of filming. In particular, feature films, television productions, commercials, pop-promos, corporate and stills.

The FiLM Office will accept no liability for loss, financial or otherwise, alleged to have incurred as a result of use of this document.

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