Professional Film Permit Packet. A step-by-step guide to the permitting process for Filmmakers.

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1 Professional Film Permit Packet A step-by-step guide to the permitting process for Filmmakers.

FIRST STEPS Before applying for a permit with the City of Savannah, the production must first complete a Registration Form with the Savannah Area Film Office.

2 FIRST STEPS Before applying for a permit with the City of Savannah, the production must first complete a Registration Form with the Savannah Area Film Office. You will need to visit their website at 1. Click on PRODUCTION INFORMATION and click on PERMITS & GUIDELINES Click on PROJECT REGISTRATION FORM.

4. Complete the PROJECT REGISTRATION FORM. Then click submit. Your submitted Project Registration Form will go directly to the Savannah Area Film Office.

3 4. Complete the PROJECT REGISTRATION FORM. Then click submit. Your submitted Project Registration Form will go directly to the Savannah Area Film Office. Once they have received your request, they will review it and contact you. If you are filming in the city of Savannah, the Project Registration Form will be sent to the Film Permitting Specialist with the City of Savannah.

4 FEATURE FILMS & EPISODIC TELEVISION If your production is a Feature Film or Episodic Television Show in the city of Savannah, you will need to schedule a meeting with the Office of Permitting Services Director and Film Permitting Specialist. In this meeting the following will be discussed: Production s plans, requested City resources, upcoming permits, deadlines, police needs, sign and meter removal, City lights, parking needs, parks and square needs, how filming will impact tourism, and how filming will impact residents and businesses. During this meeting, the Line Producer, Location Manager, other Location team members will need to sign a Permitting Agreement. After the Permitting Agreement has been signed, you will need to send your Certificate of Insurance to the Office of Permitting Services. CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE All Film and Media projects must send their Certificate of Insurance to the Film Permitting Specialist. Insurance Information: Type of Insurance Required: Commercial General Liability Minimum Limits (per occurrence): $1,000,000 Insurance Certificate addressed as follows: The Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah C/O Susan Broker P.O. Box 1027 Savannah, GA Evidence of Insurance must be ed before a permit can be effective.

Savannah. The best way to do this is to visit the website, http://www.sagis.

5 SAGIS Before applying for a permit from the City of Savannah, you will need to first determine if the location you will be requesting is owned by the City of Savannah. The best way to do this is to visit the website, This will be the first page that appears: Second, type in the requested location:

Once you have typed in your requested location, the Owner s Name, PIN and Property Address should appear: If the Owner s Name is MAYOR & ALDERMEN OF SAVANNAH, that means that the location is owned by

6 Once you have typed in your requested location, the Owner s Name, PIN and Property Address should appear: If the Owner s Name is MAYOR & ALDERMEN OF SAVANNAH, that means that the location is owned by the City of Savannah. If it does not say that, the location might be privately owned or owned by a different municipality. If you need more information on the permitting process for a different municipality, please contact the Savannah Area Film Office at (912) Once you ve identified that you want to film at a City of Savannah property, you will need to have ten pieces of information ready before applying for a Professional Film permit: 1. Where are you requesting to film? 2. What are the dates that you plan on filming at the requested location? 3. What are the times you will be filming at the requested location? 4. Will you be filming on a sidewalk? If so, name what sidewalk you are requesting to film on and the crossroads. 5. Will you be filming in a roadway or lane? If so, name the street or lane you are requesting to film on and the crossroads. 6. Will you have any weapons on set? If so, what type? 7. Will you have simulated violence? If so, explain. 8. Will there be any stunts on set? If so, explain. 9. Will you be using any special equipment? (I.e. condor, generator, etc.) 10. Will you need parking? If so, be specific as to what spots you are requesting. (i.e. 3 spots on the Northside of Broughton Street between Bull Street and Drayton Street.)

7 PROFESSIONAL FILM PERMIT APPLICATION Before you apply for a Professional Film permit, keep in mind: You must submit your permit application to the Office of Permitting Services at least five business days in advance. Film permit fees are accumulated per location, not each application. Fees are due prior to the issuance of permits. Fees are only payable by check or money order. We do NOT except cash or credit cards. All fees are non-refundable except in extraordinary circumstances. Your application does not qualify as an issued permit. You will still need to be approved or denied. Permit Fees: Professional Permit $ Any professional production requiring a permit to film. Blanket Permit $ Any Low Impact production that does not need to set up at a specific location. Rush Fee $ *This is a total not in addition to the $ (Professional Fee) or $ (Blanket Fee).* Any professional production that requires a permit less than 48 hours from the time the application is received. NOTE: ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE EXCEPT IN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Here are the five steps you need to complete in order to apply for a Film permit: 1. Your first step is to go to https://www.

8 Here are the five steps you need to complete in order to apply for a Film permit: 1. Your first step is to go to 2. Click on PRODUCTION INFORMATION. 3. Click on PERMITS & GUIDELINES. 4. Click on CITY OF SAVANNAH PERMITS & GUIDELINES

9 5. Click on CITY OF SAVANNAH LOCATION PERMIT APPLICATION.

10 6. Complete the CITY OF SAVANNAH LOCATION PERMIT APPLICATION. Then click submit. Your submitted application will go directly to the Film Permitting Specialist. Once they have received your request, they will review it and contact you, if needed.

11 POLICE NEEDS After you have submitted your application, if you have weapons, prop weapons, simulated violence, stunts, or are working in a roadway or lane; you will need to hire a police officer. This is something the Film Permitting Specialist will coordinate for you. Once the Film Permitting Specialist reviews your permit application, they will contact you regarding the need to hire an officer. The cost breakdown for officer services on professional productions is as follows: Supervisor(s) Line Officer(s) Officer Admin Fee Vehicle Admin Fee $45 p/hour (each) $32 p/hour (each) $1 p/hour (per officer) $6 p/hour (per vehicle) *All fees above require a 4 hour minimum* SCMPD officers and equipment (includes vehicles, K9, mounted patrol) are not allowed to appear in films and photoshoots. The operational hours of the Outside Employment Office of the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (SCMPD) are Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm (with the exception of Holidays). After hours assistance from the Outside Employment Office is available at the rate of $32 per billable hour. A meeting between the production and the SCMPD Outside Employment Office should take place prior to any extended or large scale filming. BILLING: - Professional productions are billed via invoice from the SCMPD Outside Employment Office. - All billing point-of-contact info MUST be on file prior to the start of production. - Invoices will list by line item each officer used by date and location, as well as the officers total amount due. - A City of Savannah Form W9 will be included with the invoice. - Upon receipt of the invoice, productions are required to submit payment as instructed by check or money order (Personal Checks will not be accepted).

NOTE: 1. Weather Cancellations: Up to 4 hours before officer arrival. (Or 4 HR minimum will be charged) 2. General Cancellations: Up to 24 hours before officer arrival.

12 NOTE: 1. Weather Cancellations: Up to 4 hours before officer arrival. (Or 4 HR minimum will be charged) 2. General Cancellations: Up to 24 hours before officer arrival. (Or 4 HR minimum will be charged) Hiring an officer is a time sensitive matter. Film jobs for officers are considered Extra-Duty work. While there is a specific pool of officers for films, please understand that ALL Extra-duty jobs are voluntary. It is important to have your filming schedule finalized as soon as possible. There needs to be enough time for the job to be posted so that officers can see the job and decide to work it. If your film requires an officer and an officer has not signed up for your film, you will NOT be allowed to film. Filming without an officer is a violation of your film permit, dangerous, and you can be cited for it. If you do not have an officer, you will need to reschedule your filming with the Film Permitting Specialist. When you reschedule, you will not be charged for another permit. The Film Permitting Specialist will re-issue your permit, with the new dates and times. There will be no extra cost for you. HOLIDAY CALENDAR

13 Notification Letter Before your permit can be issued, you may need to submit a Notification Letter. A Notification Letter is a way to alert local businesses and residents in the area of your filming. The City of Savannah requires Notification Letters to be distributed 48 hours prior to filming. Failure to notify as described in the permit is a violation. You will need to distribute the Notification Letter to the Notification Area Map attached to your permit. If you do not know what a Notification Letter should look like, do not worry. There is a Professional Notification Letter sample located on the next page.

14 SAMPLE FILMING NOTIFICATION LETTER (Date) Dear area neighbors and businesses, TITLE OF PRODUCTION Introduction of yourself/role and the name of the production on which you are working. Explanation/Short Synopsis as allowed by the production company. We will be filming at _(location)_ on (date) from approximately _(start time)_ to _(end time)_. We will be filming (interior or exterior) scenes. Also describe when you are prepping a location and striking a location. Include dates and times with this as well. Restricted Parking will be on the following streets: Prep Day Date West side of Montgomery Street between W Taylor St and W Wayne St Film Day Date West side of Montgomery Street between W Taylor St and W Wayne St Wrap Day Date West side of Montgomery Street between W Taylor St and W Wayne St Our crew will consist of (number of people) people. Explain where the crew cars and base camp will be located. Nearby on Private Property is considered an acceptable explanation. Closing paragraph comments, for example please know that the production is a guest and that you will be mindful of surrounding businesses and residences. We are working with the Savannah Area Film Office ( ) and City of Savannah s Office of Permitting Services ( ). If you have any questions, please call or me at any time. Thank you, Name Location Manager Title of Production Phone Number Address

Once you have written up your Professional Notification Letter, you will need to submit it electronically. Your first step is to go to https://www.

15 Once you have written up your Professional Notification Letter, you will need to submit it electronically. Your first step is to go to 1. Once, you are on the website, go to PRODUCTION INFORMATION. 2. Click on PERMITS & GUIDELINES 3. Click on NOTIFICATION LETTER UPLOAD

16 7. Then, you will fill out the NOTIFICATION LETTER UPLOAD, submit and it will directly go to the Office of Permitting Services.

17 FINAL STEPS Once you have received an from the Film Permitting Specialist stating that your permit has been approved and ready for pick up, you can come to the Office of Permitting Services. When you arrive at the Office, make sure to have a check or money order made payable to the City of Savannah for your permit fees. Please note that if you do not pick up, sign for, and pay for your permit, the permit is invalid and any filming without the permit will be cited. If you have not paid for your permit, you will receive a PAST DUE notice via , even if you have cancelled filming. You will have 10 business days to pay the PAST DUE fee. Your personal account, plus any productions associated with you will be suspended from receiving permits until you have paid all fees in full.

18 If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to help! Our goal is to have safe, successful, permitted filming in the city of Savannah. Our office is located at: Office of Permitting Services 1 Waring Dr. Savannah, GA (912) Our office is located in Daffin Park Our office hours: Monday - Friday 8AM 5PM For more on permitting, please contact: Susan Broker Permitting Director SBroker@Savannahga.Gov (912) ext For Filming permits, please contact: Nikki Palucci Film Permitting Specialist npalucci@savannahga.gov (912) ext. 1432

19 1. Fill out the Project Registration Form. 2. Set up a meeting with the Office of Permitting Services to discuss needs and to sign the Permitting Agreement only if you are a feature film or episodic television show. 3. your Certificate of Insurance. 4. Use SAGIS to determine if your desired location is owned by the City of Savannah. 5. Have the details of your film shoot finalized. 6. Determine if you might need police and if you have enough money in your budget to hire an officer. 7. Apply for a Professional Film Permit online, from the City of Savannah. 8. Submit your Notification Letter online. 9. Distribute your Notification Letter 48 hours before your filming begins. 10. Have a check or money order ready. 11. Come to the Office of Permitting Services once you have received an informing you that your permit is ready. Make sure to bring your payment and any other payment for fees.

Student Film Permit Packet. A step-by-step guide to the permitting process for Student Filmmakers.

Student Film Permit Packet. A step-by-step guide to the permitting process for Student Filmmakers. Student Film Permit Packet A step-by-step guide to the permitting process for Student Filmmakers. FIRST STEPS Before applying for a permit from the City of Savannah, you will need to first determine if