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Dealing with Drunks


jozzafunk

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I was recording last night in the hospital for the midnight rush of drunks for a doco style show ( shaping up to be very interesting ) - Straight away there was 1 person that became quite agitated at the sight of the kit.  Later we were shooting another bloke getting cleaned up - we'd asked him and he was happy to be filmed, however after a bit he seemed to become quite agitated and I ended up tapping the shooter on the shoulder and motioning to bail out, which we did.   I wondered afterward's whether I'd made the right call, and had cost them some valuable shots.  I decided I wasn't interested in taking any risks but wonder what folks' limits are when they're on a shoot that involves challenging terrain.

 

 

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No shoot is worth getting injured over, and if you feel that the situation is becoming unsafe then you have every right to make the call to abort.  I'm surprised that if you are shooting in a hospital emergency room at a time when all the drunks were showing up,  that you weren't accompanied by a security guard. 

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I think the limit should be about the same as you would define it in your non-professional life. You did the right thing. Don't jeopardize your health. I never liked it when I would shoot with a producer and/or DP that don't care about the people in the shot and surrounding, as long as they get their shot. I once got into a discussion with a producer who almost violently attacked some kids who were standing around and walking into the shots. I told him if it was my kid that he just pushed away I would have a problem with that. I never worked with the guy again but would do the same now.

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First off be safe. Somebody drunk in an ER is possible to be in a bad state of mind, so don't kick the hornet's nest if that's what it looks like. Trust your gut. There will always be somebody else very willing to talk to camera with a totally crazy story. 

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but on the other side of the camera..... 

I have to be honest, if I was rushed to the emergency room for any reason and a TV crew was trying to film me for some mystery reason, I would be pissed. Especially considering how long you can sit there waiting for somebody to help you, I would feel trapped if a film crew had me cornered like that and rolled. 

I also always wondered about the legality of somebody drunk signing a release. I guess it depends on your Country, or State if you are in the US. 

I've always been curious about releases. I was recently working on a reality series and one guy was in a documentary a few years earlier. He's only in it for a minute, but he said that when he signed it, he was totally drunk (which is why they wanted him), and the girls that talked him into signing a release said it was for a school video project and their teacher required permission. Now the "student project" is on DVD and Netflix. 

I worked on a doc TV series with law enforcement and we had to blur a lot of faces (because Pennsylvania requires everyone to sign away their image, their voice and their property). That said, we had a surprising number of people willing to talk to us and show off whatever the action was right up until they had handcuffs put on. That's where a good field producer can first talk to people. 

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I worked on an ER show a few years ago. We were forbidden to roll on anyone in an "altered state" for legal reasons. Even if they did sign a release, if they were drunk or high, it is invalid. Someone who is intoxicated can't sign a release or a contract and it still hold up in court. I am surprised that the hospital will let you roll on intoxicated people.

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Yeah that's kind of exactly it Mike - He was mumbling under his breath and becoming agitated and I saw a look in his eyes and decided it was time to go.  We weren't actually shooting his face, hands and angles and dripping blood and stuff.  I think it was the right call on the day.  I can't speak for shooters but I think as a soundie, you have to be quite observant and pick up on things others might miss.

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Yeah that's kind of exactly it Mike - He was mumbling under his breath and becoming agitated and I saw a look in his eyes and decided it was time to go.  We weren't actually shooting his face, hands and angles and dripping blood and stuff.  I think it was the right call on the day.  I can't speak for shooters but I think as a soundie, you have to be quite observant and pick up on things others might miss.

 

Absolutely. I have saved numerous shooters from stepping off ledges, tripping over small children, walking into traffic, etc... It's their job to look at the story through the lens, which often takes them out of the reality surrounding them. I do feel it is often part of our job (especially on a very small ENG/Doc crew) to look out for the folks behind the lens.

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Absolutely. I have saved numerous shooters from stepping off ledges, tripping over small children, walking into traffic, etc... It's their job to look at the story through the lens, which often takes them out of the reality surrounding them. I do feel it is often part of our job (especially on a very small ENG/Doc crew) to look out for the folks behind the lens.

 

Bravo on this. I've saved many shooters from many hazards, and they're always thankful. 

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Absolutely. I have saved numerous shooters from stepping off ledges, tripping over small children, walking into traffic, etc... It's their job to look at the story through the lens, which often takes them out of the reality surrounding them. I do feel it is often part of our job (especially on a very small ENG/Doc crew) to look out for the folks behind the lens.

 

I agree with Alex above: Bravo for your attitude. I've heard from camera operators that there's a natural trend in life to feel like you're impervious to harm when you're looking through the viewfinder of a camera, as if everything you see is a movie, but nothing could be further from the truth. I never saved a cameraman's life, but I did once help grab a handheld camera when the operator tripped, and he was extremely grateful that the lens didn't hit the ground.

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We were forbidden to roll on anyone in an "altered state" for legal reasons. Even if they did sign a release, if they were drunk or high, it is invalid. Someone who is intoxicated can't sign a release or a contract and it still hold up in court. I am surprised that the hospital will let you roll on intoxicated people.

+1

 

A contract is not legal if the parties involved are not of MENTAL and LEGAL capacity.

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First off be safe. Somebody drunk in an ER is possible to be in a bad state of mind, so don't kick the hornet's nest if that's what it looks like. Trust your gut. There will always be somebody else very willing to talk to camera with a totally crazy story. 

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but on the other side of the camera..... 

I have to be honest, if I was rushed to the emergency room for any reason and a TV crew was trying to film me for some mystery reason, I would be pissed. Especially considering how long you can sit there waiting for somebody to help you, I would feel trapped if a film crew had me cornered like that and rolled. 

I also always wondered about the legality of somebody drunk signing a release. I guess it depends on your Country, or State if you are in the US. 

I've always been curious about releases. I was recently working on a reality series and one guy was in a documentary a few years earlier. He's only in it for a minute, but he said that when he signed it, he was totally drunk (which is why they wanted him), and the girls that talked him into signing a release said it was for a school video project and their teacher required permission. Now the "student project" is on DVD and Netflix. 

I worked on a doc TV series with law enforcement and we had to blur a lot of faces (because Pennsylvania requires everyone to sign away their image, their voice and their property). That said, we had a surprising number of people willing to talk to us and show off whatever the action was right up until they had handcuffs put on. That's where a good field producer can first talk to people. 

 

exactly the problem with my doco. i've been filming with three former homeless guys for about 1.5 years, they signed the release, signed gratification receipts, and now that i'm almost done with the rough cut i'm wondering if i'll run into major problems in case any of them changes their mind. sometimes it was hard to tell whether they were intoxicated or not, one of them has even stopped drinking and found a job (which of course is great), and while his personal development is part of the film, i'm afraid he might insist on having the earlier material removed or defused. even though he signed the relase when he was already clean, it's kind of complicated. ah dammit what a hassle. i need to get back to doing sound alone.

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  • 1 month later...

I was on a doco shoot the other day and at lunch the shooter and assist closed up the van, and rushed off to the cafe... leaving the F900 sitting on the sidewalk on a busy shopping street.  They're damn lucky I was hanging about to do my going to lunch checks, and looked pretty damn sheepish when I wandered in holding their rig while they're sitting there with director and talent, how's that for watching the cx dept's back.

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How do these "Cops" style shows get around/get releases? I know everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame.. But not those 15 minutes.

That's a good question and one I've always pondered. Especially since everyone is technically "innocent until proven guilty". I don't get how the show COPS isn't somehow sued for defamation of character.

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That's a good question and one I've always pondered. Especially since everyone is technically "innocent until proven guilty". I don't get how the show COPS isn't somehow sued for defamation of character.

"Cops" is considered a documentary, much like a news event. You're following a public servant in the performance of their duties. In more than one instance, courts have found that it is in the public's interest that police be taped in the performance of their duties. For instance, dash cams in police cruisers not only help the police in court, they have also helped put bad cops away.

Another factor that keeps them out of legal trouble is that "Cops" would never air any segment that isn't an obvious

case of "good guy arrests bad guy". It is kind of tough to go to court and claim defamation when they have you on tape breaking the law and resisting arrest.

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