The sky was that perfect shade of rich, royal blue, filled with those large, puffy white clouds you see in the opening credits of The Simpsons. The breeze was light and cool, making the hot summer day more tolerable. In short, it was a perfect day to capture some b-roll.
I was working 2nd camera on a reality television show that had rolled into town. I got the gig because the producers were looking for a local shooter to help not only with secondary coverage of the main action, but to gather scenic establishing shots around the city. They knew it would be more beneficial to hire someone with knowledge of the area; someone who could quickly navigate to all the right, easily identifiable spots around town.
My assignment on the first day was to capture a lot of this 2nd unit b-roll, then meet up with the rest of the crew to cross-shoot a few scenes featuring the main characters. So, for several hours it was just me, the camera, and a tripod, cruising around town looking for landmarks. When I found the right spot I would hop out, set up my gear, capture a variety of angles (always give your editor plenty to work with 😉 ) then pack up, drive to the next location and repeat the process.
I found myself downtown early that afternoon, parked in front of an historic building; one that easily identified the city and one that would be easily recognizable to viewers. I got out of the car and unloaded my gear. I walked around for a bit, looking for the best angle. Then I set up my gear and began filming.
Now, when you’re out in public in a crowded space with nothing but a professional video camera and heavy-duty tripod, you tend to stick out. There’s just no way of really being inconspicuous. So, I could see people in my periphery stealing glances as they walked past me, or just straight up staring. It was when two people approached me that I started to get nervous.
I swallowed my anxiety, turned and smiled, and managed a pleasant, “Hi.”
The “leader” stepped forward and demanded to know what I was doing there. I explained who I was and what I was doing. He got very confrontational very quickly and lectured me on why I shouldn’t film people without their consent.
Now, in my defense, I was focused more on the landmark.
Were there people walking by? Yes.
Were there a group of people congregating under a nearby public park space? Yes.
To those people, did it seem like I was filming them? Sure. I can see that.
I’m moving the camera around, panning, tilting, etc. I’m also filming the legs of people as they walk past (You know, shots that everyone has seen on every local news broadcast). So if you aren’t looking through my viewfinder it might look like I’m filming specific people.
I tried to explain that I wasn’t filming anyone in a way that would make them identifiable. I tried finding common ground by telling him that I understood his point about consent; that I was fully aware that I couldn’t go around filming whoever I wanted. But nothing I said seemed to defuse this guy. Either I was doing a poor job, or he didn’t understand, or he didn’t care to understand and was just looking for a fight. His voice grew louder. He started pointing his finger in my face. He inched closer and closer. He looked like he could take a swing at any moment. And I noticed that his yelling was starting to draw a crowd. More people were now approaching me.
Now, I’ve been in some pretty uncomfortable situations throughout my career, but this was the first (and only time so far) that I actually feared for my physical safety.
Some of you may be thinking, “Why didn’t you just leave?” Well, that is 100% the right call. And it’s the same thought I had in the moment. I was trying to leave. I definitely wasn’t talking to this guy thinking that if I deescalated the situation I could go back to filming. No way. I wanted out. But in the moment I felt like I needed to try and calm this guy down before leaving. Why? Because I thought that ignoring him and turning my back on him could make things a lot worse. He could’ve seen it as a sign of disrespect and then no telling what would happen.
Just as the fuse was about to hit the dynamite stick, a Good Samaritan inserted himself into the fray, coming between me and my antagonist. He turned to the man, gently pushing him away from me while talking to him. I don’t remember what he said, but it did the trick. The man’s anger dissipated and he turned and walked back over to the park with the rest of the group. I was free.
Lessons Learned
Always be aware of your surroundings.
The particular angle I set up for that day may have been the best vantage point, but it ultimately proved not to be worth the effort. Sometimes compromise is okay.
There are still good people in the world who will come to your aid when needed.
I don’t remember if I exchanged any words with the Good Samaritan, but had it been a movie, we would have shared a nod; an acknowledgment of appreciation from me and an unspoken, “Now get the heck out of here,” from him.
I will say that this incident was, and still is, a fantastic testament to the importance of the buddy system.