NPC Shoot Out

["Carol Green" <carolgreen>]

Sounds to me like it will mostly impact on low-budget, independent
photographers and filmmakers who will not be able to afford the liability
insurance. Professional crews that film regularly in the city are already
required to get a permit and insurance to block off streets and sidewalks.

Im not in New York, in fact Im not even in America, but speaking as an
observer from the other side of the Atlantic, it looks like a bad idea to me.
Its bad news for creativity - and Warner Bros will still be telling you which
street you can walk down while they make Sex in the City!!



http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6820379,00.html





carol


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>From what I understand, this information is not accurate.  It
doesn't require just "any group" of two or more people with a camera
to obtain a permit and insurance, as it says below.  The law would
require a permit for large groups of people for short or long shoots
(I'm not claiming to be any expert on this either, but think its 5 or
more using a tripod for 10 minutes or more), and for the smaller "two
or more" groups its only if they are filming in the same place for
over half an hour.  it is intended to regulate film crews and pros.
not tourists and casual photographers.

I have mixed feelings about it myself.  On the one hand, I'm pretty
sick of obnoxious film crews who think they own the city and can tell
me what street I can and can't walk down. I live in an area where
this happens fairly frequently (they used to film Sex in the City
near me, ugh).  And I don't have a problem with them requiring
insurance for pros.  It protects the passers by.  Universities can
purchase a master policy that protects its students.  On the other
hand, I do think this law as currently written is too broad and would
allow the police too much room for hassling people who have done
nothing wrong.  . Maybe the permit requirement, if any, should depend
more on what they are doing on the shoot and how much public property
they are going to be taking up during the shoot, rather than the
number of people involved.

Its  great to have discussion about it...or a protest...but, either
way, whoever the group is that's organizing the protest isn't doing
itself or its members a favor by misrepresenting the proposed law
they are protesting.


On Aug 2, 2007, at 5:00 AM, babel-digest wrote:
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 11:21:01 EDT
> From: GoRimbaud
> Subject: NPC: COME TO AN NYC  SHOOT-OUT FOR FREEDOM  AT UNION
> SQUARE  THURS Aug 2nd 1130 AM till 2 PM  BRING A CAMERA - TAKE
> PHOTOS -  FORWARD THIS EMAIL
>
> COME TO AN NYC
> SHOOT-OUT FOR FREEDOM
> AT UNION SQUARE
>
> THURS Aug 2nd 1130 AM till 2 PM
>
> BRING A CAMERA - TAKE PHOTOS -   FORWARD THIS EMAIL
>
> Photographers, filmmakers, local residents,
> and tourists face serious restrictions by the
> NYC Mayor's Office proposed law.
>
> The City plans to enact legislation THIS Friday.   The NEW LAW will
> require
> any group of two or more people who want to use a CAMERA (still or
> moving) in
> any public location to have a permit and proof of a one million dollar
> liability insurance policy.
>
> THE SOUL OF NYC HAS ALWAYS BEEN ILLUMINATED BY STREET PHOTOGRAPHY!
> DON'T STAND IDLY BY AND WATCH "THE DYING OF THE LIGHT"!
>
> SEND A MESSAGE TO THE MAYOR.
>
> Come on. Bring a camera and your lunch to
> UNION SQUARE
> Thurs Aug 2nd 1130 till 2 PM
>
> Imagine NYC photography without the works by the likes of Robert Frank
> William Klein   Diane Arbus Garry Winogrand Joel Meyerowitz Thomas
> Struth Roy Colmer
> William Gedney David Beckerman Jeff Spirer Weegee Andre Kertesz Alfred
> Stieglitz . . .
>
> Organized by :
> the Ad Hoc Task Force Against Really Bad Ideas Rules and Regulations
> in association with
> freedom loving people like you and me
> to volunteer or get info 212 367 7701  adhoc
> just show up with a camera and start shooting. thanks.
>
>
> PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL
> COME ON!