How To Shoot on the Beach
How To Shoot on the Beach
Shooting on the beach is one of the most difficult kinds of shoots for a big production. Even a small production has to o through many hassles before being able to go out an shoot.
Beach regulations are stricter than any other public or city property regulations because there are so many people involved on a public beach. Besides regulations there is the difficulty of getting equipment down on the shore without damaging it and also getting good sound and acting in the windiest of windy places.
The first thing you must do is pick your location. All states and beaches have different regulations when shooting on them. On the East coat of the U.S. you'll need a permit but they are generally free. On the West Coast some beaches will not permit you shoot on their beaches unless you have insurance policies for equipment of up to 1 million dollars.
To pick a beach location without going from beach to beach you can go to www.cinemascout.com. They provide many locations in all areas for you to search through. You'll find that there are a certain of number of beaches that will allow you to officially shoot on them with permission and permits and some that are not as accommodating. This site will direct you toward the best beaches. They also provide contact information for different film commissions you'll have to contact for permits.
After picking your options, the next step is to scout your locations. Go to make sure you have enough room on the shore for whatever you need to do. Pick a stretch of the beach that you plan to concentrate on shooting. Check out how windy it and how many people there are on the beach at any given time. These things will help you when you get out there to start shooting.
After picking a beach, the next step is to get a permit. You may have a small camera and crew or a large production company size crew. Either way, you still need a permit. Go to the city in which you are planning your shoot and call the commission office there if they have one. If they don't call the closest film commission office. They will give you the contact number you need to get your permit application.
You can usually fill out your permit online. For some film commissions you may have to go inside the office to fill it out. Do this early. Getting a permit can take anywhere from 3-20 business to get. The permit fees can range anywhere from $50 to hundreds of dollars. And the beaches themselves can charge even more than that.
Beaches usually charge quite a large amount for production companies and even small films to shoot on them. The beaches will not close unless they are paid a large amount so they have to make sure that the public is still able to enjoy the beach without interruption. Depending on your crew size and equipment they can charge between $100 and $10,000.
Once you have your permits and have paid all your fees due, it is time to get to shooting your film. You have to bring equipment on the beach, crew and cast, food, and props. Bringing all these things on the beach has to be done in the safest way possible. Here are some guidelines to follow when shooting on the beach.
Cast and Crew
1) Everyone handling any sort of equipment or props should be wearing gloves and tennis shoes, no exception. No one wants to lose a toe nor do they want the camera to slip out of their hands.
2) Bring a tent if possible. Keep people out of the sun, sand and wind. The crew needs this just as much as the actors. Shooting on the beach tires you out more than you can possibly imagine.
3) Bring plenty of sunscreen and twice as much water as usual. People will be dehydrated after about 3 hours on the beach. And no matter if the sun is out or behind clouds, people will most likely get sunburned after 3 hours on the beach.
4) Bring chairs for the cast and crew.
5) Give people breaks in spurts. The crew and cast will need twice as many breaks as they do on a regular set. Give them mandatory five minute breaks when you can.
6) Unless you have the time for extra make-up and hair, have the actors keep it simple. They might have to run from the shore into a trailer to redo their hair and make-up often because of the sun and wind.
Equipment and Props
1) Sand is your biggest enemy. Bring plastic bags and cotton blankets to cover the camera equipment and props. You don't want sand scratching your lenses and getting inside the cameras.
2) Wind is your second biggest enemy. If you are using deflectors, white boards or lights, bring extra sandbags for those c-stands. It is way too easy for them to fall over with one sandbag on them.
3) Bring tables to place equipment you're not using on it.
4) Bring proper wind screens for the boom pole. It will be hard enough to hear the actors over the waves, the wind won't help.
5) Leave the equipment cases away from the sand in a secure area. You can wipe the sand off the equipment but that won't help if there's sand in the cases as well.
6) Power will be a problem. You'll have to use auxiliary so have plenty of batteries charged for the camera and sound as possible.
Food
1) Keep food as far away from the beach as possible without it being too far away from the cast and crew. Again, you don't want sand. But you also don't want to litter. Crews tend to drop their food or drinks where ever they are.
2) Keep the foods light and cool. But make sure there is protein. People will already be tired and they will need something to keep them going.
The beach is a hard place to tackle when shooting a film but it can be less difficult if you think of safety first.
Links:
www.cafilmcommission.com
www.cinemascout.com
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