Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker
“The kind of films we make simply could not be made if we had to go through
a NYC bureaucracy to get a permit every time we picked up our cameras. It’s
intrusive, stifling and goes against our first amendment rights - not to
mention it would probably put us out of business”
Chris Hegedus
D.A. Pennebaker
Frazer Pennebaker
- posted Wed., Aug 1, 2007 at 5:40pm
- filed in Public Comments
- 1 Comment
August 4th, 2007 at 9:18 am
THE STAGING OF REALITY…MUST HAVE PERMIT TO LIVE?
The Mayor of New York’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting needs to reconsider their proposed restrictions of filmmakers’ and photographers’ rights.
If these unfair rules are passed, opportunities for artists to excel in their endeavors will be gravely curtailed. This will mean that one needs to be part of a multi-million dollar media company in order to do one’s life calling. This may constitute an unfair allocation of marketshare and ability to conduct business as a photographer and filmmaker and would have the suffocating effect of limiting independent filmmakers who have no such affiliation or sponsorship and cannot afford insurance.
In addition, cinema verite type filmmakers like myself will be forced to schedule the unschedulable…trying to estimate what will happen and where, in advance…and apply for a permit. This is akin to being a mind-reader and unreasonable to assume a filmmaker will know where and when unstaged and uncontrolled events will take place. This would force a filmmaker who does not believe in staging circumstances to do so, and goes against the very nature of the philosophy of “direct cinema”.
The inability for enforcement on an equitable level will create opportunities for corruption, harrassment, and abuse by the police force as well as the Mayor’s office in their power to decide at whim to grant or deny applications or waivers of permits and additional requirements.
In addition, it is unfair to demand that the police enforce these draconian measures and would be misallocating taxpayer monies to fund such enforcement activities of public servants, who would be much better utilized in job responsibilities that would be more suitable to stopping the serious criminal activity and terrorist plans that could potentially cause much more damage than simply taking a public photo or making a film.
Do the right thing, Mayor’s Office…DON’T JUST GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. Stop this nonsense!
Colleen M. Delaney
Independent Filmmaker and Photographer
PO Box 404 NY NY 10014 colleendelaney@yahoo.com
Manhattan Resident