FILM act

Gellar

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Jan 31, 2014
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Is it really a good thing? We’ve all seen on here the struggles that Randy has getting his film permits but he did it right, even changing plans to abide by the rules. Not all social media hunting influencers have been doing this. I feel like this bill is actually punishing content producers like Fresh Tracks and throwing a bone to people who either have not been producing content or breaking the rules. What say you?

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It's an interesting discussion, for sure. Compliance right now is so low, it's laughable.

If this passed, the Feds would likely get more revenue by much higher compliance. But, maybe I'm being a fool to think it would bring the noncompliant folks into the loop.

The Feds would no longer incur $3-4,000 of labor costs for processing and monitoring a $1,200-$2,000 film permit.

If things stay the way they are, it doesn't really impact how we operate. I budget the costs and I adapt our filming plans based on where we can get permits. We just keep doing what we're doing.

The idea when the film permit rules were enacted was because of big Hollywood productions. I doubt they could have foreseen the changes in people filming monetized YouTube videos with cell phones, GOPros, and small handy cams.

Some say it would open the doors to a ton more filming. I doubt it would cause much increase. Those noncompliant folks are already out filming for their commercial platforms. They just aren't applying for film permits or paying the public for use of public land. There is very low compliance in the hunting space, but compliance in the hunting space is much higher than the compliance I've learned exists (doesn't exist) in the outdoor recreation space.

I have friends who are LEO for the USFS. They have almost no time to work on film permit issues when they are covering huge territories that have people doing some very crazy, dangerous, and damaging things.

If things don't change, the only way to get higher compliance would be to hire LEOs. I doubt it will pass, so I just keep moving along as we always have.
 
I’ll say I hope it doesn’t pass and I wish there was more crackdown on non compliance. I’m guessing plenty of outdoor companies know people they support that are commercially filming and don’t care when I think they should care and shouldn’t support the law breakers. I’ve watched people shooting b roll footage while I’ve been out hunting and it was both comical and sad. Watching them did make it easy to check off a spot not to look for any critters.
 
I went to college with someone that produces content on youtube, mostly fishing videos but 3 years ago dived into western hunting and filming it. He was on a Montana elk/deer hunt 2 years ago and an outfitter he ran into turned him in for not having a film permit while hunting national forest public land and his fight over this all but killed his channel and ability to make money from it.
 
Why/how is compliance so poor?

If the video is up - seems like thats plenty of evidencs?
Nobody in LEO has time to watch the videos. They're busy with people cooking meth, illegal logging, motorized trail violations, cabin vandalism, fights in campgrounds, squatters living permanently on USFS, and you name it. This stuff gets pushed way down their priority list. The number of LEO has been cut in recent decades, giving them huge territories to cover.
 
The biggest thing that the outfitter was upset about and what ended up really getting him in trouble is after the hunt, he was flying his drone around to get footage to use and while he didn't get a hunting violation for that, apparently its some different kind of higher level permit to be able to use drones for commercial footage?
 
So are you saying people like Hushin, THP, Jason Matzinger, Eastmans, Meateater.....etc..etc...are filming without permits? So let's say I run into them, how can I tell if they have one, does it have to be visible? I'm happy to turn people in, but I can't just walk up to them and say, hey, show me your permit :)
 
The biggest thing that the outfitter was upset about and what ended up really getting him in trouble is after the hunt, he was flying his drone around to get footage to use and while he didn't get a hunting violation for that, apparently its some different kind of higher level permit to be able to use drones for commercial footage?
If he was in a wilderness low aircraft under 5000’? is not allowed.
 
Sounds like allowing film production on public land lose lose situation and should be banned. Why should tax dollars go to support commercial film production, plenty of private land around. Make the fines pay the enforcement costs.
 
So glad a sheep conservation group is so concerned with people filming hunts for commercial purposes and allowing people to remove dead animal parts from national parks. I’m sure this will help put lots of sheep on the mountain
 
So are you saying people like Hushin, THP, Jason Matzinger, Eastmans, Meateater.....etc..etc...are filming without permits? So let's say I run into them, how can I tell if they have one, does it have to be visible? I'm happy to turn people in, but I can't just walk up to them and say, hey, show me your permit :)
Sounds like we should do self regulation and report abuse when we see it. ..
It’s only if they’re making monetary gains do they need the permit. Randy can make any corrections to this but if he goes out with the WHOLE crew and when asked for his permit he say “it’s for personal use.” He don’t need no stinkin permit. Thankfully he’s an honest fellow and understands the magnitude. He’s paying it back (forward?) to all of the public land trustees for his monetary gains.

If your or I filmed our hunt for our own personal records, actually got a harvest on tape and had a worth-watching video, and then decided years down the line to edit and post…. Then what?
 
I don’t like the idea of more LEO only out of concern that they will find the “easier busts” and not really use their positions in the areas we would hope to see more oversight. I like that anyone making money from simply being in a public space taking a public resource, has to pay for that. Do we see that dough, though? Does it go back to our trails and maintenance?
In a public setting, there is no expectation of privacy so anyone could be filming you or the things around at any given time. Therefore, if I make a funny video outside a school or library, should that require a permit also? I don’t think so…. That’s a very interesting topic. Thanks for highlighting
 
So are you saying people like Hushin, THP, Jason Matzinger, Eastmans, Meateater.....etc..etc...are filming without permits? So let's say I run into them, how can I tell if they have one, does it have to be visible? I'm happy to turn people in, but I can't just walk up to them and say, hey, show me your permit :)
Doubt any of the big names, but surely some of the lesser watched crowd is using keywords and specific strategies to platform themselves with the above names and thus reaping benefits. Albeit a fraction of the big dogs. Regardless, they’re gettin paid to shoot the elk you’d be happy to get without anyone around at all….
 
My guess is that if you’re running into some of the people mentioned, you’ll be cited for trespassing 😉

So are you saying people like Hushin, THP, Jason Matzinger, Eastmans, Meateater.....etc..etc...are filming without permits? So let's say I run into them, how can I tell if they have one, does it have to be visible? I'm happy to turn people in, but I can't just walk up to them and say, hey, show me your permit :)
 

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