Do you need a license for making a movie with fake guns, and should you get the police involved?
Question by AJ: Do you need a license for making a movie with fake guns, and should you get the police involved?
I want to make a movie, possibly using my school, neighborhood, ect. I heard on a website that if you wanted to make a movie involving guns, and gore, that you should not call the police, and that the SWAT team showing up would be better than the amount of money you would have to pay for making the movie. This confused me, as i thought that it would be free, and i would only call the police so they know that what we are doing is safe. Will it cost me anything? Should I get the police involved? Do you need i license for making a movie? ect.
Best answer:
Answer by B.
If your movie company is a real company using paid actors and paid staff support, then yes, you do need to have a business license to operate your business. If no money is being made or exchanged in the making or the distribution of the movie, then no.
If you intend to block off any city streets while filming, then you do need a permit to do that from the city.
Yes, as a matter of courtesy, you do need to forewarn the police that you intend to be filming on such and such street between this and that numbered blocks. If you intend to have blanks in the guns firing then you do need to be sure that you tell the police. Remember that if you don’t tell them and they show up thinking it is a real situation, they will not be using fake bullets when they shoot back at you. That will probably be a bit more reality than you are expecting. And yes, you would be responsible to pay for the entire response unit and you could also be fined for creating a public nuisance and false police reports as well as being responsible for any damage that real police bullets might cause to people and property too. You could even be responsible for wrongful death or even Murder in the second degree if someone is killed by police bullets when they are responding to your fake situation.
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