ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXCan you help us secure permission from Canals & Rivers Trust?
9 years, 8 months ago - Ian Boisvert
Urgent Help Sought for filming near London Canals
Does any one have permission getting permission from the Canals & River Trust for filming on a canal towpath and allow one actor to enter the water. We are focusing on an urban canal in London. Do you have any experience or know any one with experience successfully working with the Trust to get these filming permits?! If so, please reply here or email me direct at rubiconthemovie@gmail.com
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9 years, 8 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Call them tomorrow, they're not monsters. Person in water, you likely need a stunt perfumer, insured, and to letterbox local residents and advise local police.
Like everything else in London, it can all be done if you do it properly and accept that it'll cost some time and effort, and a bit of cash.
I'd counter, though, how essential is this shot to your film? If it's essential, you may choose to delay shooting this scene until you can do it properly. If not essential, get creative, use sound effects, compositing, whatever to sell the idea.
Sometimes there are shots you'd like, but can't get for one or another reason. Filmmaking is about finding creative solutions
9 years, 8 months ago - Marlom Tander
Issues I can think off right off - Health and Safety.
Assuming all sorted re proper stunt person, safety in place etc the big thing that will worry them is Area Control.
Passing boats (possibly skippered by drunks) present a real threat (bow waves even if not impact) so do you need the canal closed for the shoot? And even if you don't think you do, their H&S people might.
I'd guess that closing a canal is more complex than a road because there isn't usually any alternative route.
So the first thing I'd do is try and find a dead end canal that has little or no traffic on it. Perhaps even better, one that is disused and not a navigational route.
Alternatively have a marshaling plan in place so that on a long quiet stretch, even if not closed, you can have watchers such that you can get the guy in and out of the water between boats. If you can get a goof 5 mins warning on a canal with maybe 2-3 boats an hour, that's doable.
A few months ago we location scouted and found the most amazing location for "spy boat landing". It also happened to be next to an RLNI station, and the Captain (or such) happened to be in and we got chatting. When we told him our plans he laughed and said that we clearly didn't understand that we were looking at one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the country. On the plus said, what we wanted was possible, but to be safe the boat should be crewed by his team, because they knew the waters, and anyone IN the water would have to be on a line, (that would be non negotiable).