The City Film Team is here to assist you with your
filming requirement. If you have any queries please call Joanna
Burnaby-Atkins on 020 7332 3202 or Mick Bagnall on 020 7332 3182
and we will try to assist you. Once you know where you wish to film
we ask that you submit an online application form. This is an
uniform application system that is now used across 10 London
Boroughs. We request that anyone filming on public highway or on
City of London Corporation private property submits an application.
Before making your application please read the following
guidelines.
Filming on the public highway in the City of London
Small crew filming
On the basis that you are filming with a small crew only (less
than eight people), keeping to public walkway, are using portable
equipment only and you will not cause any obstruction, danger or
offence to others, then you are not obliged to submit an
application. However it is deemed good practice to submit an
application for all shoots and we advise you do so as we can then
notify relevant parties such as the Police and Highways that you
will be filming and in turn we can send you confirmation that we
see no objection to your filming. This Notice of No Objection is
useful to show to private security personnel and City Police
Officers who may stop you to find out what you are doing. By
submitting an application we are also able to advise you if any of
the areas you wish to film at are private property, outside our
borough or may conflict with another crew.
Hoarding licences
Should you have any equipment that is not immediately portable
(eg tracking/heavy props/scaffold towers), a Hoarding Licence is
required and permission must be granted in advance. This is usually
done at a site meeting, when you will be given the necessary
application form. In order for your licence to be approved we
advise your application is submitted a minimum of 10 working days
prior to your filming date.
Weekday filming (7am - 7pm)
No dispensation can be given for winniebagos or catering
vehicles. Cranes are not permitted and tracking is only permitted
in very few, quiet, pedestrian areas. It is rare for a hoarding
licence to be issued on a weekday between 7am - 7pm. Filming that
requires police assistance will rarely be permitted on
weekdays.
Filming using vehicles
Should you wish to film with a low loader, a tracking vehicle or
any other vehicle, please note that your vehicle and any parts
attached to it must be fully roadworthy, licensed and insured. Both
the Metropolitan Police and the City Police have tightened up their
checks on such vehicles due to recent incidents involving vehicles
that were not safe or were over the legal size/weight restrictions.
Any vehicle must follow all road regulations at all times and cause
no obstruction or danger to any other vehicle or pedestrian. If you
require that your vehicle should do anything out of the ordinary or
cause a temporary hold-up of any kind, this can only be done with
police assistance which must be booked a minimum of two weeks in
advance via the City Film Office.
Police
Police Service is required at any film or photo shoot that
involves any of the following:
- replica firearms or emergency service vehicles, or actors
dressed as policemen, firemen or military personnel.
- any SFX that could be considered hazardous (smoke/wind/etc) or
that could cause concern to the general public, surrounding
residential and business communities.
- any activity that is generally considered to be illegal,
hazardous or to have a disproportionate effect on the
community.
Usually if Police are required they will wish to attend a recce
prior to the booking, this would be arranged via the City Film
Office. Once your requirement has been agreed the City Film Office
will provide you with a copy of the relevant application forms and
you will be required to book your Police service directly with the
City Police a minimum of 10 working days before the date of
filming. City Police are charged per hour and these costs can be
made available to you upon request. .
Traffic control
Film Production Companies are not permitted to hold up traffic
without prior agreement with the City of London Corporation. Any
traffic control can then only be carried out by qualified traffic
management personnel.
Parking Dispensations / Bay Suspensions
Should you wish to apply for special parking dispensation please
note that there is a parking section in the Film Application
process for you to do this. A minimum of four full working days
will be required to process and issue all dispensation / suspension
requests. Productions with a large parking requirement should allow
at least five working days.
Bays and dispensations may only be suspended for the purpose of
essential equipment vehicles and are not for personal vehicles.
During the working week (Monday-Friday 7am - 7pm) requests must be
limited to essential technical vehicles only and not include
Winniebagos and catering vehicles. [* Note: There are a couple of
City locations that can sometimes be used during the working week
for catering – please ask the Film Office for advice on where these
are. ]
Further information on parking dispensations and how to pay for
them can be found in the Parking section of the Filming
Application.
Filming on private property in the City of London
If you wish to film on private land you will need to obtain the
consent of the landlord. Examples of private land in the City of
London include: All the park and garden areas in the City, the City
churches and their gardens, Paternoster Square, the Barbican Centre
and the Barbican Estate, Smithfield Market, Leadenhall Market,
Museum of London, Broadgate Estate, Network Rail Stations, London
Underground Stations, New Street Square, Aviva Square, Inner and
Middle Temple, forecourt areas and squares attached to buildings
(such as St Pauls Cathedral, Aviva, etc.) and all the Bridges in
the City (Tower BridgeLondon Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Millennium
Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge). The City Film Office can provide
you with contacts for the majority of these.
City of London Corporation private property
If you wish to film on Corporation property then in the first
instance we require you to fill in the standard Film Application
form. If once we have looked through your application we are able
to grant permission for you to film we will provide you a Contract
to Film on Private Property to be filled in, signed and sent
back.
Popular City of London owned properties in the City of
London include:
- The majority of park and garden areas in the City
- The Barbican Centre
- The Barbican Estate
- Guildhall and Guildhall Yard
- Golden Lane Estate
- Leadenhall Market
- Mansion House
- Middlesex Street Estate
- Monument
- Smithfield Market
- The Old Bailey
- London Bridge
- Southwark Bridge
- Millennium Bridge
- Blackfriars Bridge
- Tower Bridge
Filming on City bridges
London Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Millennium Bridge and
Blackfriars Bridge
These Bridges are privately owned by the City of London
Corporation and a fee may be charged for filming on the Bridges.
Currently small crew documentary or drama filming on these bridges
is free for up to 30 minutes but this is due for review in early
2011.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is situated just outside the City’s boundaries but
it is privately owned by the City of London Corporation. Therefore
should you wish to film on or in the bridge we will require an
application form from you. If you wish to film the bridge from a
vantage point nearby the bridge but not on it then you should note
that the land to the north of the bridge is in the borough of Tower
Hamlets and the land to the south is in the borough of Southwark.
Most of the land around the bridge is however owned by a variety of
different organisations, most of whom charge for filming on their
land. You can find a document showing different vantage points of
the Bridge by going onto
Film London’s website and scrolling down the
page until you come to a PDF named ‘Tower Bridge Camera
Positions’ under the heading 'London's Bridges'. This PDF shows
vantage points of the Bridge and details of who relevant
landowners are. Having looked at this document, if you prefer
not to pay any fees and don't mind being a bit further back from
the Bridge then you should look at camera positions 1, 3, 4 and
6 as these are all public walkway in the City and there would be
no fee to film the Tower Bridge from these spots.