I have learnt the following when trying to secure locations:
1) Going to see someone in person is better than using email or phone. I once had to convince a priest that I was a good Catholic boy before he would let me use his church for my student film. He only agreed because I saw him face to face and could gauge my sincerity. I wanted to specifically use his church and I got it.
2) Be honest. If you are going to have a crew of 30 and take 12 hours then tell them. Don't say you'll have no lights and then turn up with a lorry load of Arri's. I've seen people push this, even when filming "Watching & Waiting", and it leads to a bad relationship with the location staff, and probably screws up any future filming there.
3) In guerilla filmmaking, it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission. This is not an invitation to be stupid. If you want to film at a station or airport, you'd get permission. But in the street, out of harm's way and not blocking a throughfare... I would controversially say do it. No doubt some union or industry "professional" location manager would disagree (as I am disregarding their job) on the grounds that everyone should have public liability insurance etc... then we start to talk big cash, because lots of licenses and a plethora of procedural paperwork begins. Be wise, do your health and safety checks and stick vehemently to them. Don't film the general public. Anyone asks... apologise sincerely and stop. Know that this time you were unlucky and you should never push your luck.
With this in mind, tonight I visited The Rainbow in Birmingham for permission to film there on Saturday night. I explained the project, the scale of the crew and was polite. I really wanted this location as it is one of the funkiest in Birmingham and could look like any one of the many bars in Berlin's nightlife - the ambiguity that we are searching for. The promoter of the night was positive and we are all set to film! Here are some pics to make this blog a little more visual...
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