WFG Black Lodge | Thursday March 29 | 7pm – 10pm
Using firearms, or anything that even looks like a firearm on a film shoot requires certain standards in safety, notifications and sometimes permits. This informational session will discuss how filmmakers at any budget level can pull off these scenes safely and at minimal cost.
No matter if you have a large crew or just you and a few friends in your backyard, there are certain safety requirements and legal obligations to follow to protect the safety of your cast and crew. This session will discuss:
- When you need to notify the city and the police
- When you need a gunshot permit and how to obtain one
- Your legal obligations when filming with real or replica firearms
- Safety guidelines for cast and crew
- Proper supervision and safety briefings
- How blanks work
- When you may want to use blanks and why
- The hazards of blanks and how to deal with them effectively
- Filming with replicas
- How to make your cast look authentic
- Tips for writing firearms into your script
- Common mistakes that filmmakers make when filming with firearms
There have been several near-tragic situations with low-budget filmmakers the past few years. There is no excuse for putting your cast and crew into danger. Following some simple safety guidelines will not only protect you and ensure the firearms aspect of your shoot goes off with no surprises; it also helps preserve Winnipeg as a filmmaking centre for the future.
This informal 3-hour session is ideal for filmmakers, actors, writers or producers. Everyone is welcome. (Free for Winnipeg Film Group members; $10 for non-members.)
Session presenter will be local firearms safety specialist Dave Brown. An ardent supporter of the Manitoba filmmaking community, Dave is passionately committed to finding safe ways to help filmmakers get the scenes they need.
In addition to working on hundreds of film and theatre productions, Dave wrote the firearms safety guidelines for the Province of Manitoba and helped develop the firearms safety training module for all film and theatre technicians in North America. He has appeared on an episode of the Discovery Channel, been interviewed twice on his career by the Winnipeg Free Press, and been invited to lecture on firearms safety in the film industry across Canada and as far as Hollywood California.
Known for his relaxed teaching style and his knowledge on firearms, Dave Brown is also there to answer any and all questions relating to the use of firearms on film sets.
