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Shooting Guideline

1. Informing local residents

Neighbors, shops, local businesses and NGO’s must be informed at least three workdays before the beginning of the filming or shooting and eight workdays in the case of important logistical needs.

2. Parking and Traffic

It is necessary to set up and use dressing rooms, canteens and tops. Prodywood will look for a hotel or alternative place near the filming location that can be used as dressing rooms by the artists in order to limit the number of vehicles and, above all, the presence of small noisy and polluting generators.

The sound level of the generators adjacent to the trucks used as dressing rooms shall not be above 55 db (See R48 decree 95.408). In the opposite case and in case of a complaint by the neighbors the use of these generators may be forbidden.

Since, in certain districts, setting up a catering area in public spaces is not allowed, the presence of canteens or tops must be organized in close cooperation with the local Police Station. In certain cases, it will be recommended to find solutions out of public spaces and to look for alternative catering sites in surrounding restaurants or halls run by associations.

The producer must see to it that the company responsible for providing meals respects the environment. He must make sure waste water is correctly evacuated into the sewage system and that refuse is systematically removed every day before the end of filming.

The production company and Prodywood are responsible for the respect of the environment.

3. Technical installations

A. Props

Prodywood must be informed if specific uniforms (ambulance staff, firemen, municipal agents) are used by the actors. Any uniforms or vehicles resembling those used by emergency services must be covered whenever possible and especially between takes. Markings on vehicles must be taped over when they are not used for filming or when being driven on the street. Sirens should not be used at any time on location and flashing lights must be switched off when not in shot and covered when not in use.

B. Stunts, special effects and pyrotechnics

All stunts, special effects (including weather effects and wet downs) and pyrotechnics must be under the direct control of a named qualified stunt coordinator or special effects operative, in compliance with environmental protection rules in force and with provisions relating to health and safety. In particular, a risk assessment of the procedure must be carried out and due warning must be given in advance to all those who may be exposed to noise, dust or smoke. Protective equipments or clothing may be necessary.

For rain effects on the roadway, a sign warning vehicles against the modification of the adhesion properties of the roadway must be installed in both directions.

If the use of firearms is planned, they must be replicas and should not be used without consent of the Police Authority. The Paris Film Office must be informed, as well as residents (this must be mentioned in the letter of information to residents).

C. Tracking vehicles

In order to avoid any risk of accident when using tracking vehicles, a specific autorisation must be issued by the Police authority.

D. Technical installations in public spaces are necessary for filming

Prodywood company should pass on any specific requirements at least 15 days in advance of filming in order to make arrangements for the possible presence of City of Paris agents.

- Cabling

All cables must be made safe as they are laid and not at some time later. Cables must be laid in the gutter along the highway or in the junction between a wall and the pavement. Cables on a staircase must be taped in order to avoid any risk of stumbling.

If it is necessary to lay cables across a footway, they must be covered by a taped rubber mat that must be visible to the public by proper lighting, cones or high visibility hazard tape.

In this case, an appropriate and visible marking must be installed with the authorisation of the services of the Highways Department.

The use of cable ramps may actually be very dangerous for two-wheelers surprised by this obstacle that forms a springboard.

- Cranes and aerial platforms

The use of cranes or aerial platforms on the public highway is submitted to the previous agreement of the Police Authority. The location manager or the company that rents the crane must also discuss the exact positioning of each equipment with the engineer of the Highways Department and the Police Station. The conditions and permits issued must be respected at all times. If this type of equipment is installed, it must be surrounded by a safety perimeter and signs, especially at night.

At night or in conditions of bad visibility, signaling lights must be placed around the aerial platform or the crane.

Aerial platforms or similar equipments for the staff should not be left unattended and must be used only by holders of a « CACES » certificate corresponding to the equipment (SeeDSC 861 and 860) (CNAMTS recommendation R386).

- Lighting, lighting towers, scaffolding set up and used by trained staff (decree 2004-924 of September 1, 2004 on the use of work equipments put at disposal for temporary high up works and modifying the labour legislation – second part : decrees at the Council of State) and decree N° 65-48 of 8 January 1965 and the bylaw of 21 December 2004on scaffolding controls, modifying the annex of the bylaw of 22 December 2000 on conditions and terms of approval of organisations entitled to check the conformity of work equipments.

When lighting, lighting towers, scaffolding and demountable structures must be installed on public highways or footways, the Paris Film Office must be informed. An agreement will be issued after checking that :

- all the lights above ground level and lighting stands are properly secured

- lighting stands placed on a footway are attended at all times

- lightings must not dazzle car drivers

- lights must not be shone directly towards residential properties without specific permission.

- A specific rule is established for all aluminium scaffolding or towers whose superiorfloor is higher than 8 meters (see decree 2004-904, extract HD1004)

Road markings, signs, street furniture and lighting

- the removal of street furniture, including signs and the adjustment of street lighting is carried out by the services of the City of Paris Highways Department and the cost is charged to the production company. Any arrangements for this work must be made through the Paris Film Office.

- Minor work by the production company may be permissible with prior permission of the Paris Film Office but any damage or reinstatement costs will have to be met by the production company.

- Any modification of the urban space (installation of equipment on public highways, or intervention on the street furniture or the road signs) requires the specific and joint approval of the Paris Film Office and the Police Authority.

Rain and snow effects

Rain and snow effects may only be carried out with the permission of the Police authority.

4. Impact on the neighborhood 

A. Behaviour of the teams

All members of the filming or shooting crew must abide by the contractual commitments.

They must behave in a respectful and responsible manner and use only the places specifically mentioned on the permit(s) issued. Any conflict should be avoided because it might endanger the good proceeding of the ongoing filming as well as the future ones.

B. Noise and nuisance

Noise must be kept at a minimum, especially when setting up early in the morning or taking down late at night. Generators should not be switched on before 07.00 unless they are silent and meet the standards in force.

The environment must be protected. The legislation must be respected in order to avoid an excessive noise level, untimely use of loudspeakers, smoke or dust emissions, or any other nuisance caused by filming.

Prodywood will provide you with all useful information on the regulations that must be respected. (Prefectoral Decree on 29 October 2001 N° 01.16855)

C. Night filming (22.00 – 07.00)

Night shoots and filming are subject to a prior notification to residents, shops, local businesses.

Please note

Any activity, including filming, is subject to laws regarding noise and nuisance. A complaint from a resident can result in the termination of the shoot and confiscation of the equipment.

Therefore, it is advisable to shoot all scenes requiring a high noise level before 22.00.

5. Participation and safety of the staff 

A. Health and safety of the staff

Health and safety issues for all employees must be anticipated and taken into account by the producer who must respect the appropriate procedures.

Types of risk assessment that may be required for filming activities include consideration of stunts, the use of flammable or toxic materials, construction work, working at heights, working with children or animals and the use of cranes and cherry pickers.

Building site notification according to DG 20 (see DG 20 and opening of sites), that can be downloaded on : www.cchscinema.org.

A prevention scheme if necessary (see prevention scheme and preliminary visit). The fire autorisation if necessary (see fire permit and order concerning Paris). (Bylaw 19 March 1993 and order N° 70-15134 of 16 February 1970).

B. High-visibility clothing

Persons working on the highway must wear high-visibility clothing. This is an essential safetyrequirement. Clothes must meet EN 471 standards : class 3 for jackets, class 2 for waistcoats or two-coloured jackets.

C. Presence of police officers on location

In order to avoid any misunderstanding by the population, production companies are required to inform the Film Office about all details of filming in a municipal space or a public highway especially if this includes any staging of crimes, accidents or the use of firearms or special effects.

The presence of police officers during filming comes under the jurisdiction of the Police Authority.

6. Cleanliness

Production teams must respect the places used. They must be cleaned and returned in the same state as when they were delivered. Otherwise, cleansing costs will be charged to the producer.

7. Credits

Paris: If acknowledgements are mentioned in the credits at the end of the film, we thank you for using the following mention: Paris – Mission Cinema

Other part of France: If acknowledgements are mentioned in the credits at the end of the film, we thank you for using the following mention: "name of the city" or "name of the region" - Commission du Film

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