Permission for making films at High School

[Michael Bruder]

Hello I need help. A very close friend of mine works as a teacher at a High School in New York. She is trying to get permission from the school director for both of us to make filmshots. Later, we want to have the film on youtube or DVD. Ok, once the permission is granted, what about the students? Does each of them (500 students) being captured on camera has to give permission to be filmed and to be on youtube? Does everybody who belongs to the school staff and every student being captured on camera and later being on youtube or DVD has to sign a release form?

Would be a great help if someone knew. Thanks a lot
Mikel

 

[Lazlo]

You're dealing with minors, so it would be HIGHLY recommended, although if it wouldn't be going any further than youtube or home enterainment you probably have nothing to worry about. I shot a documentary in a middle school, and I got release forms for the kdis that talked in the film, all the others I didn't do anyhting. It's most important to have permission from the school and the principal.

 

[Michael Bruder]

Thank you Lazlo for response. I got permission to shoot at High School in april. The priciple wants to have a documentary on his school. Now i have been looking for a rental house preferably located in Maryland to get a Lavalier Mic. for interviews, . Can you or someone else recommend a rental house that has good deals. I am on a low budget.

It's my first time of planing this for a documentary. Can you give me some lessons on shooting at high school?

 

[JimT]

High School Documentary

High School Documentary

Hi,
Regarding shooting in high schools, many districts have parents sign blanket releases at the beginning of each school year that gives their permission to videotape their children. If this is the case, all you have to do is get the permission of the principal (who will get permission from the district) and you are all set. If there is no blanket release, you can still videotape in the school if you have permission of the school principal. However, without personal releases signed by the parents be very careful that you do not videotape any students in a "compromising" situation (breaking school rules, breaking the law, being abusive to other students, etc) as this will open you up for a law suit. If you are doing interviews with students, get a video release (once you have rolled the camera, ask them if they consent to be interviewed and for you to edit their interview)--while this will not keep you from getting sued because students are underage, it will be something in your favor should there be a problem down the line. If you are videotaping a class, once you roll, ask for students who do not want to be in the video to raise their hands. That way you can edit them out in post. All of these steps demonstrate that you are doing your best to protect the interests of the students.
As far as taping adults, if you are doing an interview, do the video release with them and you should be OK. I don’t worry about adults too much because it is hard for them to say later they weren’t aware they were being taped.
Regarding microphones, you are right that a lav is best for interviews and a shotgun is best for docu. I use Sennheiser G2 wireless microphones for interviews and Sennheiser ME67 shotguns for doc. If you put “audio rental Maryland” in any search engine, it should pull some rental companies for you.
BTW, I speak from experience. I have shot in hundreds of schools all over the country . . . and I have yet to be sued (knock on wood).
Best of luck with your project. JimT

 

[Michael Bruder]

Hi JimT,
thank you very much for this important information. So far I have permission from the principle. It went this way: My close friend works as a teacher at that school. She asked the principle and he orally told her, yes he wants to have a video on his school. She in turn wrote me this: "I have good new for us. My principle wants to have a film on his school. You can start with your draft". Meantime I ended up with 11 pages plan. If you want, I can send it to you. Maybe you could help me out a little bit.

Very important for me is your information concerning treating students. I surley will this apply i. e. asking them to raise hands if they don't consent..

Another question: Did you draft a shooting plan for high school videotaping? Or what did you do for preparations?

Again thanks a lot
M.B.

 

[JimT]

High School Documentary

High School Documentary

If you are producing a documentary about the school, there are several ways to approach the production with respect to a script. If you are going to interview teachers and students and have the responses make up the narration of the video, then you need a list of questions to ask and at least an initial list of shots to cover the audio. You can then complete the shot list after the interviews. Or, if you are going to have a narrator, then the narration should at least be sketched out before you start shooting and then develop a shot lists from the narration. After you shoot you can then refine the narration and add additional video if needed. Either way you have to go in with a plan of what you want to shoot, who you want to interview, and what questions will be asked. Good luck. JT