Be Prepared, Be Flexible

Yesterday, my friend Kayleigh and I went to a workshop at the convention we are at. The workshop was called "Be Prepared, Be Flexible" and while we went to it to learn techniques to use in our school show, I actually learned a lot that could be applied to this project. The presenter of the workshop was Carly Danek who is  a photographer for BTN11 (Break the News) from Channel 11 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The workshop discussed how to handle changing and unexpected situations and how to act in certain circumstances. 

The most applicable thing (to this project, at least) that I learned is about is having to change where you decided to film because of external factors. For example, I wanted to get a few shots while in Anaheim since I would be missing a filming day in Florida. I needed a shot outside of a few people fighting, but we weren’t able to leave the hotel on the one day we weren’t doing anything. Instead, the workshop taught me different ways to make a room look like something else when you need a back up plan, so I did that and it worked out extremely well. I can also take this back with me for the interrogation room my group would like to use.

I also learned a lot about where it is legal to film and what your rights are in regards to filming. Carly showed us a video of that her reporter took when he went to film at a house where there had just been a lightning strike in which a man’s grandmother was injured. The man was drunk and visibly upset and came after the reporter. However, legally, the reporter did nothing wrong.

So first, no one is allowed to speak on behalf of someone else's property. If the owner is not there, their neighbor is not allowed to tell you that you cannot film there. In the video, the man who is upset says that he knows the owner and that he cannot film there. First, he admitted he did not own the land and second, he legally can’t say that the reporter cannot film there because it is not his property. I also learned something extremely interesting (and very weird if you ask me.) There was not a no trespassing sign, therefore one cannot be arrested for trespassing will usually be let off with a warning for a first time offense. Once they get lawyers involved, the situation could change, of course, but the reporter technically did not break any laws. I could defiantly use this information in this project to know where it is legal to film, because I obviously wound’t want to get arrested for a school project.