Where to practice filming in public places

Jules

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Where can you go these days to practice filming? With a medium sized video camera, tripod and slider, I'm not going to look like a tourist.

Obviously I'd avoid filming children and high security buildings, but it seams there aren't many places you can go these days on a whim without breaking some kind of law or attracting unwanted attention.

There's only so much you can learn by going off to the hills, and whilst the tranquility is nice it doesn't afford you practice in the city with landmarks and human activity.

Where do people generally go to practice the art of film making?
 
Public areas are fair game as is filming members of the public. National parks are nice if you want to do nature stuff. Try for golden hour to maximise your dramatic natural lighting.
Public marches, performances are also good to get stuff. Philip bloom is quite an irritating character in my opinion but he does shoot some great abstract stuff that anyone could do. Video portraits etc. maybe even offer to film some local amateur dramatic society's or dance groups for free. Gives them content and a chance to practice for yourself. We are back up in Manchester at the end of the month too :)
 
Cheers Steve.
Give me a shout if you want a C100 shooter when your back up here. :O)

I'm doing some studio lit corporate interview stuff at the moment, but would love to lend a hand again at one of your events. It's a different game for me now the 650 has been retired.
 
If you want to film in public places, go right ahead. Unless you are chasing someone with your camera or sticking it up their nostrils and harassing, you can film what you want, who you want, where you want. If you are on public land no one can stop you. Just be considerate about it.
 
... If you are on public land no one can stop you. Just be considerate about it.
Beware of being on railway property and filming "potential terrorist targets". I got stopped and had the Terrorism Act thrown at me. I thought I was on public property, but had obviously strayed over some boundary which I hadn't noticed, or was pointing my camera at strategic structures like railway bridges.
 
You may not (almost certainly not) be allowed to film in shopping precincts or malls and will probably be banned from many public places such as museums and art galleries simply because you are using a tripod. Filming public buildings may also be a problem because of terrorist fears and you should go nowhere near any military property or activity. In short, the opportunities for filming in public are growing less and less but I wonder what it is you are trying to practice or achieve as there are already plenty of other opportunities for filming.
 
Yeah, I know out of town shopping centres are often privately owned so i wouldnt go there. And i know railways are off limits too.

In an era of HD video capable smart phones, im sure a terrorist would be far more discrete than to carry round a big lense. Us big lense crew should be considered harmless.
 
You may not (almost certainly not) be allowed to film in shopping precincts or malls...

I got stopped by security guards in my local Trafford shopping Centre videoing with my Pannie TM900 a few years back. Fair enough but you often see many people taking photos, selfies and even videoing with their smart phones yet are never questioned!:confused:
 

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