Frustrate.
Permitting in Los Angeles for a simple band promo shoot (because I felt like contributing to society and not stealing locations) has to be the most ridiculous bureaucratic hoop jumping bullshit fiasco ever. It went something like this.
January 19th- band decides on shoot day, and we agree on location.
January 20th- I start trying to file paperwork. Find out I need a production company to back said permit, so I go through my producer.
January 23rd- Receive email with a contact for a man I need to get permission from.
January 24th- Call man, he seems confused as to why I need permission, gives me permission to go wherever the hell I want in his jurisdiction. (nicest dude EVER!)
January 25th- 29th- Not exactly sure what I need to do now, so I email the woman asking who I’m supposed to pay. She sends me another email of someone filming around the same location to let them know I’ll be around. Ok… who do I pay?
February 1st- First producer falls through because of an insurance issue. Contact Pollution to use their insurance, then spend the next two days trying to change the paperwork so that Pollution is the new company.
Which brings us to today.
I was told I needed a check from Pollution, because they don’t accept personal checks. I asked if I could bring cash, cash is cool. They let me know I need to come pick it up in person or pay $50 for someone to bring it to me… I’ll pick it up I think.
Drive to studio, which for some reason has a 9’ fence around the entire five block radius of the building. Spend 20 minutes trying to find the entrance before calling and getting directions. Finally get into the building, sign in, and get a security clearance badge. Walk across the backlot to another building, where I check in again and the security clerk punches in my info and sends me up to the correct floor in an elevator with no buttons. FINALLY! I think this will be fast, but I check in for a third time and sit and wait for 20 minutes while someone prints out my permit.
FINALLY I HAVE IT IN MY HANDS!
I go to walk back to my car through the backlot (the closest gate, and most obvious route) walk up a hill and get to the gate. Mind you, I can see my car half a block away from us. But the guy directs me back to the entrance I spent 20 minutes trying to find, all the way across the lot. So I hoof it all the way back to my car, and have finally completed my mission.
ALL THIS FOR A SIMPLE PIECE OF PAPER THAT SAYS I’M ALLOWED ON A CITY BLOCK FOR AN HOUR SO COPS LEAVE ME ALONE!
I would be all for this bullshit if I didn’t have to shell out $60 per location (for a low traffic area), but what the fuck? Why is this so difficult? I can only imagine how annoying it would be to shell out $650 for a filming permit!
*end rant*
The Tumblr page of Megan Thompson, a commercial photographer living in Los Angeles, California.
Photos, Videos, Advice, politics, and Cute Animals
