Producing : Chicago as a location by Joe Orlandino

Crazy story. It's always a good idea to have security when you leave expensive equipment in any practical location anywhere, especially major cities like Chicago.

FYI - Cash bail has been one of the most racist and discriminatory parts of our legal system for years, and has literally led to poor people spending months or years in jail - losing jobs and housing, their families being separated and/or further impoverished - before they've ever been convicted of a single thing, simply because they couldn't raise bail money. Some DAs have even used it as a way to talk people into pleading guilty to crimes they didn't commit just so they could go home. Meanwhile very dangerous people with money can end up back on the streets in hours.

A money-bail system that makes no distinction between people who can afford bail and those who can't, is what is absurd, because a person's ability to pay bail has no relevance on what threat they pose to public safety, and only rarely to what kind of a flight risk they are. That's why Chicago's law (like most of the other places reforming these policies) allows judges to set cash bail only when the person can afford it, and instead requires judges to honestly evaluate the threat to public safety the accused represents, on the record, rather than just throw a bail number at them and move on. That's why these reforms are happening all over the country. https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-...

In Chicago, the issue is not about leaving equipment, it about having equipment, It'll be taken from you at gunpoint.

And we'll, just have to wait and see how that no-cash-bail works out for Chicago. Here's the latest WITH cash bail.

Either way....nevertheless, just PROTECT YOUR CAST AND CREW when filming in Chicago.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2021/1/16/22231974/cash-bail-refor...

Great idea, Joe Orlandino. Cast and crew safety should always be at the very top of the list.

Safety is and always should be the number 1 priority on a set. The producers should do everything they can to make sure that everyone is trained, careful, and taking the necessary steps to accomplish tasks responsibly. However, as someone who went to film school in downtown Chicago and spent years running around with expensive equipment and filming projects all over the city, the biggest step to safety is using common sense. If you're going to be out filming at odd hours or in areas that you're less familiar with, make smart choices such as always traveling in groups, designating more than one person to guard supplies, seeking out city filming permits, letting the local police station know that you'll be filming in their area (when and where), keep the equipment packed away and stowed mostly out of sight when traveling back and forth or while it's not in use, research the area thoroughly when location scouting, etc. If something seems sketchy or you're advised to avoid a certain location, take that seriously. Trust your instincts and do your due diligence. I lived and created in Chicago for nearly 5 years without any dangerous incidents. I had all sorts of ups and downs with those projects, awkward run-ins with people in public areas, locals angry that we shut down an alleyway (with permits and permission from the city), long public transportation rides loaded up with Pelican cases, etc. But there are ways to mitigate risk and still accomplish your goals. Bad things happen everywhere, all we can do is avoid obvious problems to the best of our ability and try to help protect each other.

Producers and prod co's are cheap; they expect PA's to do security. Anyways there's safety in numbers, i worked on many shitty prods & music videos shot at night, in the worst hoods. Nobody was ever robbed or equipment stolen.

Btw, whats the daily rate for armed security guards, or do you expect crew members to be carrying? (Is a gun considered a kit fee?)

I agree with Ashley, the best thing to use is common sense. Additionally, news crews are very different than film crew. The equipment, presence and numbers of people are not the same. Comparing internal film production tragedies to this event above is a bit unfair. Producers absolutely are responsible for everyone's safety. I don't think trying to make people afraid is very helpful.

Dan MaxXx I'd like to believe you meant Producers and Production companies have a responsibility to keep a close eye on the bottom line.

An off-duty Chicago cop would run about $350 per day. That's slightly more than the day rate (all in) for an actor on a ULB shoot. With the current out-of-control crime situation in Chicago I would say that security measure would be money well spent.

My intention with this post was not to argue the merits of legislation in Illinois or Chicago's current safety initiatives, but to allow Producers who plan to use Chicago as a location to make wise choices in their production plans.

https://cwbchicago.com/2022/09/shots-fired-steps-away-from-chicago-fire-...

https://cwbchicago.com/2018/08/downtown-update-sexual-assault-reported.html

https://cwbchicago.com/2022/04/crew-that-beat-robbed-director-of-chicago...

And you could've very easily informed producers of such risks without disparaging legislation that can literally end up saving someone's life.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/08/412842780/kalief-brow...

In the years of experience, before officially getting into filmmaking, whilst pursuing my career, I ventured into the field of security, for experience and practical. An attacker studies the victim's body language, structure, appearance etc., before launching attacks. You can be a crew member, but body language alone can be a deterrence. However if producers can be trained, if needed, to observe their crew members and see the obvious, this can most certainly also be helpful, with sensitivities and better application.