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The long awaited rules for photographers and film makers will be published today according to the AP News story. These rules, while still not satisfactory to many low budget film makers, nevertheless are a signinficant improvement over the original draconian proposals:

The rules, which were to appear Monday in the City Record, now state clearly that productions must have permits and at least $1 million in insurance if they plan to take over a lane of traffic or leave less than eight feet of open space on a sidewalk.

Permits and insurance also are required for shoots that involve vehicles or use equipment other than hand-held devices or cameras on tripods — items like props, sets, lights, dolly tracks, screens and microphone devices.

This means that most amateur and low budget productions will not have to purchase insurance or secure permits. Good News!!! Now if only the City of New York would agree to educate their police forces. That is really where the disconnect is. The city government can publish all the rules it wants but it means nothing if their police force continues to harass photographers. The track record of the NYPD in this respect is extremely poor. For example photography in the New York subway has been expressly permitted by statute (21 NYCRR 1050.9c) yet police continue to lie to photographers by telling them photography is illegal and/or issuing bogus tickets. Only when the police are properly trained to respect the law will we agree that the City has made a real effort in settling the photography issue.

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