From: Ken Bawcom (email suppressed)
Date: Sun Aug 05 2007 - 19:24:28 PDT
Quoting Jim Carlile <email suppressed>:
>
>
> Apparently none of you guys want rules of any kind regarding extended
> filming in NYC. That's not gonna happen. These are all overwrought emotional
> arguments, that turn nasty and irrational when you're contradicted by
> the evidence.
I just caught up on this whole thread. Pretty much everyone who
addressed that particular aspect admits that there need to be rules
about obstructing normal use, and that crews that will do that can be
required to get permits. So, your statement is false.
It strikes me that you are someone with very limited experience with
the police. It is hard to imagine a situation where they COULDN'T claim
that two people were involved, that it took 30 minutes, and arrest
anyone they wanted to arrest, for what ever reason, even if they
couldn't make it stick later. But, doubtless they could make it stick
some of the time. You ignore, or ridicule, all the rational, ordinary
sorts of situations that actually WOULD violate such a rule. Another
obvious one that comes to mind is a couple of tourists with a camera,
at the top of the Empire State Building. That could easily take more
than 30 minutes.
I have had encounters with the police, from NYC to LA, and in between.
Some are wonderful people, who have a difficult, risky job, which they
do to help us all. Some are difficult people who will seize almost any
opportunity to make life hard for someone they take an instant dislike
to, and that generally includes "fringe types" like artists. Far from
keeping such cops from illegitimately harassing people, such rules will
just provide them with a structure to make false claims. It might be
necessary to accept such rules, in cases where they are unavoidable, to
deal with a genuine problem. But, in this case the genuine problem,
film crews obstructing the public, can easily be dealt with, using
specifically targeted laws, NOT ambiguous and arbitrary ones.
Ken B.
"Those who would give up essential liberty
to purchase a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty, nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin 1775
"I know that the hypnotized never lie... Do ya?"
Pete Townshend 1971
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For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.