[anigbrowl]

They are actually renting the street and are paying the city for it. Sure there are guerilla film crews that just show up and do stuff, but that tends to be very lightweight, in and out quick, or using a location with so little traffic that it won't really impinge.

However, it's really the city's responsibility to notify everyone, unless otherwise negotiated; when film crews do all that it's generally a courtesy thing. Sometimes the crew wants to do that in advance but the city will ding them for taking the initiative.

Film shoots are a big kickback to the police department. Hiring cops for security is required contractually and it's a sweet assignment because overtime is inevitable. Those jobs go to cops who are close to retirement because pensions are usually calculated as a % of final 2 years' pay. Smart crews also hire or plan their own security because the cops just show up to eat and flirt with the actresses and can't be relied on to watch gear.

Location scouts get paid the big bucks to not only know where to shot but how and to grease all the appropriate wheels.

[nulbyte]

> However, it's really the city's responsibility to notify everyone, unless otherwise negotiated; when film crews do all that it's generally a courtesy thing.

Is this really common? If so, I'm glad we have rules here that say otherwise. If you want a permit to close a street in my city, it's your responsibility to notify residents and businesses affected. If you don't, the city might not issue it. And even if they do, if a car is in your way because you didn't notify folks in advance, the police will happily stand around to watch what happens. Here, our tax dollars go toward using the roads, not closing them. You pay for notices, you pay for the barricades, you pay for the guards. You even pay for the police, standing around, laughing at you for failing to follow through on your obligation.

[anigbrowl]

The reason it's sometimes left to the city is that they don't want the production company to start taking the initiative before the commencement of the permit period; they might ask for more than they're entitled to by the permit, or city officials might not like them treading on their toes. Recall that the production company is paying for the privilege, and it's the city that sets the prices and conditions.