NYC Develops New Filming Regulations

New York City has tried to implement rather draconian laws on the film industry that will affect both political protest and tourist industry.

Last May the city put up a proposal to the movie board of the city that would make a mere 10 minutes of video illegal without a permit. In effect this would stop all protests and events from being taped for reference or evidence of anything that might go wrong as well as the taping of your friendly picnic or ball game in the park, or child playing.

Marches, protests and speeches will come under target as the city is using obstruction of pedestrian traffic the excuse to make anyone taping more than 10 minutes must get a permit. Next time you have a picnic and film the ball game watch out!

Of course NYC TV is most concerned with the freedom and liberty here of normal people recording events or for the protesters perhpas proof of their innocence or the governments culpability? Hand held cam corders, or non-professional gear is easy to identify and should never come under restrictions.

NYC Develops New Filming Regulations – After months of protest, the N.Y. Civil Liberties Union and filmmakers have convinced the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting to revise proposed rules requiring the use of a permit for people filming or taking photographs for just a few minutes. [Backstage]

The April settlement of the lawsuit, filed on behalf of documentary filmmaker Rakesh Sharma after he was detained by police for handheld video camera filming, required the city to create rules defining when people need permits for the first time in history. “We filed the lawsuit because there had been arbitrary, discriminatory and uneven enforcement” of permit requirements, said executive director Donna Lieberman. The 30-day comment period after the May 25 posting was extended to this past Friday after an outcry at the June 28 hearing that not enough people were made aware of the proposed rules.