ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

3 years, 3 months ago - Uli Meyer

The duplicate list is not a guarantee that the country you travel to will accept it. It is down to the customs officer on the day. A carnet is safer. Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving...

3 years, 3 months ago - Robert Crampton

Thanks Uli... Yes... I'm beginning to think the Carnet is unavoidable isn't it?! Ho hum.

3 years, 3 months ago - John Lubran

If one is shooting on a camcorder, no bigger or serious looking than something like a Sony Z280, a lightweight tripod, minimal sound and collapsible reflector. It's possible to declare such as private hobbyist kit, as well as cabin luggage. Just carry a receipt for the camera in case challenged to prove source. The Z280 is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Megabuck quality without megabuck impediments. Less can often be more!

Once one is in flight cased territory an ATA Carnet is essential. Like Uli said; Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving.

3 years, 3 months ago - Nick Cheel

Thinking along similar lines to John, depending on the topic and how many are in your team, but Holland & Belgium are more easily driveable than flying, no? Logistically, at least, depending on what's in your 'etc.' ... lights & stands should not be too problematic to find locally, if you wanted to take a private car over for a few days touring/whatever ...
There's a short film fest running in Bruxelles until 30 April (info@bsff.be), where you might be able to obtain some useful info on local eqpt suppliers for your project.
Just thinking aloud, here - and never wanting miss an op to subvert Brexit whenever possible.

3 years, 3 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

I'm out of date - that Z280 looks like an absolutely cracking camera John!

3 years, 3 months ago - John Lubran

It does seem so Paddy. The qualitative margin between the likes of the Z280 and cameras costing ten times as much is becoming increasingly academic. 4K at 100mbps and a fixed lens good enough and flexible enough to imitate perhaps 80% of applications that have traditionally required a whole set of lenses, costing more than ten times the price of a Z280. What might be lost is made up for by the sheer user friendliness of a camcorder.

The ubiquitous Z1 had already demonstrated what a game changer it was by its significant inroads into the rarefied and protected reserves of megabuck and logistically challenging camera systems at the time. The Z1 is still able to infiltrate HD broadcast standard productions without being noticed more than a decade after its time. The Z280 is like a 5th generation stealth fighter that almost, even if not entirely, renders 4th generation systems as being increasingly in Emporers New Clothes territory. Astonishing advances in low cost lens technology, digital imaging and powerful post production processing on cheap computers doesn't stop.

Moore's Law; as predicted over twenty years ago preciently suggested that digital technology would double in quality and halve in price every eighteen months. He was about right.

Perhaps even more revolutionary, is the prospect of full functional miniature cameras that make a Z280 look bulky and old fashioned and can achieve the look of any other camera. It already exists and is bound to initiate the sort of changes in our industry redolent of the demise of the highly trained 'computer operator' of the 80's and the collapse of the post production businesses with their clunky £100k plus Avids and the like.

What it's leading to is the further obsolescence of specialist technicians in actual production as intellectuals and creatives are able to fulfill those roles themselves. It's where auto functions morph into the generational evolution of anticipatory hybrid artificial intelligence.

The impact on existing businesses models is going to be dramatic.

3 years, 3 months ago - Ian Allardyce

I think you are over thinking things. Carnets are generally for large unit moves, with many flight cases of kit, etc. I fly all over the world with camera (previously Sony FS7 now FX6), several lenses, audio, even basic lighting and carnet has NEVER been asked. Basically, documentary and news gathering are informally understood to not need carnet. Airport staff are more concerned that your batteries are in your handluggage, your cabin bag isn't oversized and whether you're filming any celebs! :-)

3 years, 3 months ago - Jonathan Ashdown

I personally think it comes down to how much risk you are wiling to take. Should your items be siezed without a carnet then I doubt insurance will cover anything seeing as you've not done things the legal way. However as Ian said, you'll rarely get stopped, although I have been. 10 hours at a boarder in Turkey, Similar in Oman and UAE. Even had tricky people in the USA. It very much depends which boarder force/customs agent you get on the day. Even with a carnet i'd say only 1 in 10 times does anyone want to check any serial numbers. Most of the time they just approve it and don't check anything. Personally I'd still rather have the carnet though.

I've jut got back from driving a kit to the Alps and it is more of a ballache than it was pre Brexit.

Practical Advice:
Fist bit of practical advice is ALWAYS get the train and always make production pay for a FLEXI+ ticket. You have no idea how long you will be held trying to get your carnet stamped so don't risk it and pay more for a flexi ticket with lots of crossing options.

Getting the carnet stamped on Exit. You used to have to drive past the tunnel to the port in Dover but now you can get it stamped at Sevington where the trucks go. You have to queue up with the lorries, you'll get moved to a different car park. Only one person can go in to the office with the carnet. Hand it over and they will txt you when its ready for you to colect. We were there for about an hour and a half and it seemed fairly quiet.

When you arrive in france, exit as normal but then take the exit to cutoms instead of joining the main roads. Pop into the office and they sorted it really quickly. 20 minutes or so.

On return you need to go into the main building/ hanger where all the shops, cafes and duty free are and find the Customs guys who mainly deal with VAT stuff. They recognised the carnet instantly though (which doesn't always happen) and had it done in 10 minutes. You can then go through the customs checks etc.

On the return to the UK, instead of having to go back to Sevington you can go to the STOP 24 service station. Park wherever, you don't have to go into the lorry bit at the back (like we did) as the customs is just a desk at the end of the services. Similar set up to Sevington where they take the carnet and txt you when its done. We probably spent an hour there in total.

On top of this we had to register for an EORI number and the Goods movement reference which is linked to the ATA carnet. It's a post Brexit annoyance that essentially treats you like a haulage firm even though it's just you, with your kit, in your van. In reality, nobody asked for it, we didn't show it to anyone and everything seemed fine. I imagine it would have been expected if we had been using the freight entrance rather than the commercial one.