Production Company?

[daveswan]

I've recently (ie 1/2 hour ago!) been online looking at getting location permits for an amateur project. All the forms I've seen ask for the name of the Production Company, and of course Public Liability Insurance.
Now, I understand the importance of both but here's the nub of the question.
Has anyone had experiance of setting up a Production Company from an "amateur" standpoint, and getting PLI?
How should I go about it?
What pitfalls should I look out for?
I don't want to go guerilla as I expect to be laying down track for some shots.

I'm with Ealing Video & Film Makers which is an affiliated club FWIW.

Hoping for some help,
Dave

[Dave Watterson]

Hello Dave

http://www.theiac.org.uk/central/public_liability.htm explains the IAC deal for clubs. I don't know if Ealing has taken advantage of the special deal or not.

It is possible for individuals to buy short-term public liability insurance for a price. Do some digging with insurance brokers.

I wonder if it is really necessary to form a production company. The forms are clearly designed to suit commercial productions. This is the sort of situation where a local councillor or company MD can be very helpful ... it only needs them to make a phone call or have a word with the right person to have your request sympathetically considered and to make allowance for your amateur status. You will not be bringing in scores of people, vans, generators, huge lighting rigs and all the things which scare officialdom. Make sure your councillor understand the small team involved, the relatively short time it will take to get your shots and the lack of funds available to pay for permissions!

- Dave

[daveswan]

Hi Dave, thanks for the quick reply.
I may be going to the club this evening (We have our Christmas bash) if the weather doesn't go down hill, so I'll ask how we stand.
I may be getting paranoid (Or perhaps others are) but the location I'm most concerned with is a local park where some aliens lay an ambush. It's a bit too close to the local cop-shop for safety, and it only needs one numpty saying "you can't film here, there're kids around" ..... Be much better to say "Oh yes we can, and here's the permit".
Meanwhile I'll give some thought to contacting local councillers Hmm...thinks... ther's a local ward forum meeting on Monday, may try to have a word then.
Cheers,
Dave

[Brian Saberton]

I would suggest that where the form asks for "production company" your best bet would be to state the name of your group or club and enclose a covering letter explaining who you are and that your production is for non-commercial purposes. Before submitting the form it might be worth contacting the department in your local council that deals with the permits and have a chat with them.

[ned c]

Here in the USA, probably the most litigious country on earth, our club is registered as a "non-profit" we have liability insurance and we have a location manager. She is completely fearless and will make direct contact with anyone and has secured us permission to film at the airport, inside and out local government offices, on the city streets and for a recent production; exteriors of Federal Offices. The key is her ability to get to see people directly, present our history and then keep them and the police departent informed of dates and times and what will be happening, then writing thank you letters/e mails and handing out copies of our productions to those who helped us.

In the present security climate this is now a key job if we want to shoot outside anywhere.

ned c

[daveswan]

Hi again.
Apparently though we are affiliated, we're too hard up to afford the PLI. Bother.
I thought that the PLI that came with my camera insurance would cover it, but on closer reading it wouldn't.
Bother.
I may give them a ring, see if there's a possibility of a "special"
Dave