Amateur Film Making and Locations - part 3
Exit
Location: A woodland near a motorway
Experience: On a detailed map we found a small woodland adjacent to a quiet dead-end road. It became apparent that the owner of the plot, an elderly farmer, lived in the nearby village. Wanting to be polite, we decided to inform him in person that part of the woodland would be visible in our video shots. After our explanation the farmer states: “I used to be the owner but I no longer am. You will have to ask the present owners.” He knew only too well what the answer of the new owners, his sons, would be, but felt like chastising us for our impudence. A little way into the village we finally find the rightful owners, two young farmers, the sons of the older farmer. Once again we explain our mission, that we are amateur filmmakers and that we would like to film a little part of their woodland. After a long silence, the younger son finally speaks: “Well, you know, we find this difficult.” I am close to saying that we are the ones who have found things difficult but let him continue: “We also don’t own a TV set. We were once asked to transport a cask of beer in the village and we refused to do it.” After discussing it with my film friends it finally dawned on me that, for these people, all of this - including our filming - was the work of the devil.
Solution: We shot the scene on an empty parking lot in the middle of a park.
Experience: On a detailed map we found a small woodland adjacent to a quiet dead-end road. It became apparent that the owner of the plot, an elderly farmer, lived in the nearby village. Wanting to be polite, we decided to inform him in person that part of the woodland would be visible in our video shots. After our explanation the farmer states: “I used to be the owner but I no longer am. You will have to ask the present owners.” He knew only too well what the answer of the new owners, his sons, would be, but felt like chastising us for our impudence. A little way into the village we finally find the rightful owners, two young farmers, the sons of the older farmer. Once again we explain our mission, that we are amateur filmmakers and that we would like to film a little part of their woodland. After a long silence, the younger son finally speaks: “Well, you know, we find this difficult.” I am close to saying that we are the ones who have found things difficult but let him continue: “We also don’t own a TV set. We were once asked to transport a cask of beer in the village and we refused to do it.” After discussing it with my film friends it finally dawned on me that, for these people, all of this - including our filming - was the work of the devil.
Solution: We shot the scene on an empty parking lot in the middle of a park.
Location: Forest
Our dancer has to move through the forest, dancing. It turns out that getting permission to film in a proper forest isn’t straightforward in the Netherlands. The association “Natural Monuments” is prepared to issue us with a concessionary price of EUR 40 for “Film recording in the Gooilust”. This is less expensive because we are amateurs. For a professional crew the filming of trees would be much more costly: EUR 400 and for an advertisement clip it would be no less than EUR 800. Everything has been meticulously sorted – as the Dutch like to do: we pay and are allowed to photograph the trees on video and the clerk of Natural Monuments who came to check up on us during the filming is satisfied.
Our dancer has to move through the forest, dancing. It turns out that getting permission to film in a proper forest isn’t straightforward in the Netherlands. The association “Natural Monuments” is prepared to issue us with a concessionary price of EUR 40 for “Film recording in the Gooilust”. This is less expensive because we are amateurs. For a professional crew the filming of trees would be much more costly: EUR 400 and for an advertisement clip it would be no less than EUR 800. Everything has been meticulously sorted – as the Dutch like to do: we pay and are allowed to photograph the trees on video and the clerk of Natural Monuments who came to check up on us during the filming is satisfied.
Narozeniny (The Birthday)
Location: The living room of an elderly widow
We are shooting in Prague. My leading lady - the professional actress Nina Divíšková – and I are old friends, which makes it possible for us to film in her own house. The necessary rearrangement of our star’s living room furniture isn’t a problem either. The sofa has to be moved, the table goes into the middle of the room etc. Answering my question if her husband, who is also an actor and director, will not be upset about all this when he comes home late at night she says: “Oh, no. He won’t even notice it.” This is what I call friendship. |
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NOMEN
Location: An old farmhouse
Through reliable connections we found a beautiful old kitchen in a farmhouse owned by an elderly widow. She proves to be a headstrong lady. We explained everything to her during a preliminary visit. The idea was just to make a few shots in the kitchen. The lady shows us her entire house, even the bedrooms. We are allowed to make photos of everything, including a beautiful, large, ancient Bible that is placed on a stool in the middle of her living room. We get to hear everything about herself and her family and she shows us her family album.
Shortly before the planned shooting the lady contacts us and asks: “How long will it take? … If it seems too long to me, I’ll kick you out of the house.” This seems to be a bad omen. Nevertheless, we make an appointment. We check in with her the day before: “Tomorrow we are coming to film.” “Well, it’s not going to happen.” “But everything has been discussed and agreed.” “It can’t be done. Anyway, you have taken photos already.” (A possible explanation for this sudden turnaround is that the lady was dissuaded by some family members.)
Through reliable connections we found a beautiful old kitchen in a farmhouse owned by an elderly widow. She proves to be a headstrong lady. We explained everything to her during a preliminary visit. The idea was just to make a few shots in the kitchen. The lady shows us her entire house, even the bedrooms. We are allowed to make photos of everything, including a beautiful, large, ancient Bible that is placed on a stool in the middle of her living room. We get to hear everything about herself and her family and she shows us her family album.
Shortly before the planned shooting the lady contacts us and asks: “How long will it take? … If it seems too long to me, I’ll kick you out of the house.” This seems to be a bad omen. Nevertheless, we make an appointment. We check in with her the day before: “Tomorrow we are coming to film.” “Well, it’s not going to happen.” “But everything has been discussed and agreed.” “It can’t be done. Anyway, you have taken photos already.” (A possible explanation for this sudden turnaround is that the lady was dissuaded by some family members.)
Location: Cemetery
To get the permission to film in a large cemetery you have to pass through several layers of administration. It feels like dealing with a multi-national company. We start at the top: General Cemetery - Department of Communication - from there we get a telephone reference to the next lower step and from there to the boss of four cemetery managers. He can refer me to the right manager of the intended graveyard and then you are almost there, because this officer can identify the correct attendant. There are rates for professional crews, but also a friendly rate for amateur filmmakers. The graveyard attendant is very friendly and experienced (“The other day we had a film crew who needed a live hand coming out of the grave.”) He shows us around the location and we are allowed to place our own polystyrene tombstone. The friendliest aspect turns out to be the fact that the payment is forgotten.
To get the permission to film in a large cemetery you have to pass through several layers of administration. It feels like dealing with a multi-national company. We start at the top: General Cemetery - Department of Communication - from there we get a telephone reference to the next lower step and from there to the boss of four cemetery managers. He can refer me to the right manager of the intended graveyard and then you are almost there, because this officer can identify the correct attendant. There are rates for professional crews, but also a friendly rate for amateur filmmakers. The graveyard attendant is very friendly and experienced (“The other day we had a film crew who needed a live hand coming out of the grave.”) He shows us around the location and we are allowed to place our own polystyrene tombstone. The friendliest aspect turns out to be the fact that the payment is forgotten.
Record
Location: Police station
This is 2012. We approach the police officers at our local station. The co-operation of the police with amateur filmmakers does not exist any more.
I remember the year 1986. We were making our film Hitch. At the very same local police station we just had to ask the policeman on duty and we could film the police car from inside and outside including two police officers. Nowadays you hit an impenetrable wall of officialdom and bureaucracy. You have to submit an application to the central office in Rotterdam before you get a reply that the police doesn’t even have time to deal with us. To find a solution requires some creative thinking. Not only that, we are not allowed to film inside the police station. Two police officers approach us when we are filming in the street in front of the police station with the message that this is “probably not permitted”. They left to investigate this, but fortunately never came back.
This is 2012. We approach the police officers at our local station. The co-operation of the police with amateur filmmakers does not exist any more.
I remember the year 1986. We were making our film Hitch. At the very same local police station we just had to ask the policeman on duty and we could film the police car from inside and outside including two police officers. Nowadays you hit an impenetrable wall of officialdom and bureaucracy. You have to submit an application to the central office in Rotterdam before you get a reply that the police doesn’t even have time to deal with us. To find a solution requires some creative thinking. Not only that, we are not allowed to film inside the police station. Two police officers approach us when we are filming in the street in front of the police station with the message that this is “probably not permitted”. They left to investigate this, but fortunately never came back.
Location: Garden next to a canal
Fortunately, the location belongs to people who live next to our former neighbours. Their friendly guarantee convinces their new neighbours that we are bona fide people.
The only complication for our schedule: “You are allowed to film in our garden, but only during our holidays.”
Fortunately, the location belongs to people who live next to our former neighbours. Their friendly guarantee convinces their new neighbours that we are bona fide people.
The only complication for our schedule: “You are allowed to film in our garden, but only during our holidays.”
CONCLUSION
It is never enough to find the right location. You have to find a way of understanding how people’s minds work. You can always find people who are willing to help, who remember to treat you as people, who understand the amateurs’ dream and vision without a claim for fame or financial award.
But in dealing with institutions the trend is clearly worsening. In today’s world it is frequently a struggle and very often it involves baffling bureaucracy.
But in dealing with institutions the trend is clearly worsening. In today’s world it is frequently a struggle and very often it involves baffling bureaucracy.
