City Will Redraft Proposed Photography Rules

When the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting announced in June that they were proposing new rules for videographers, filmmakers and photographers - everyone who's ever seen an image of New York responded.

The new rules that were met with opposition are summed up at the MOFTB website, which will also direct you to the 11 pages of single-spaced rules. Those 11 pages are now going to have to be rethought, as the MOFTB announced that rules will in fact be redrafted, taking into account the feedback they've received over the past two months. Once the redrafted rules are ready, public comment will be open again for 30 more days.

MOFTB Commissioner Katherine Oliver said in her statement, “Our office remains committed to providing our customers with expedited coordination of their film location work in the safest manner possible, so that the city’s film and television industry can continue to flourish, free speech is protected and all parties can continue to film, photograph and enjoy the greatest city in the world.”

On Countdown with Keith Olbermann he announced his winner for "worst person in the world" to be Julianne Cho, Associate Commissioner of the MOFTB, (and the MOFTB itself), stating:

She's written an email indicating the city's pushing for new rules that would require any group of two or more people who want to film, videotape or take still pictures in a public place in New York for 30 minutes or more have to get a city permit and have to get a million dollars in liability insurance. If it is a group of 5 people and a tripod, the time frame drops to ten minutes.

And even though the new regulations don't mention any exemptions, the city claims this would not affect amateurs or tourists. Of course it won't. There's still a Constitution of the United States, Miss Cho, and these rules are so obviously in violation of so much of it, Alberto Gonzales wouldn't try to sneak them past anybody. (Watch the video here.)

Even though it doesn't look like the 11 pages will be tossed out altogether, hopefully the voices of all those who rallied, rapped and petitioned will really be heard for the redraft.

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By Jen Carlson in News on August 3, 2007 3:30 PM

Comments [rss]

Sam Rohn - Location Scout

for the record, Julianne Cho did not write these new proposed rules, she is just the person saddled with the responsibility for dealing with the feedback, and does not really deserve the grief coming her way over this -

in any event, the rules are now being redrawn, see here -

http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/news/090107_moftb_rules_redraft.shtml

S.D.

VanessaNYC, I think the City council is afraid of looking weak on Law and Order "Issues" and so delegate their responsibilities to other people. It's not so much a "Liberal" thing as that boob signing as "guest" would believe.

If Ms. Cho Wrote that 11 page nonsense, she needs to get a clue. If the new regulations don't mention any exemptions, their aren't any.

guest

#13, I didn't realize the city council was 100% Republican. Oh yeah. It's not. And the mayor is a liberal Independent. You're an idiot. Democrats are just as capable of making stupid rules and laws.

VanessaNYC

#12 I think you meant "republican facists" not liberals... Liberal do not seek to take away our freedoms and liberties.

guest

this city is getting out of control with regulating peoples lives. how about concentrating on shrinking the size of city gov't and services so that so damn much of my salary doesn't have to go to feeding this beast?!!!

The city is run by liberals. What else were you expecting?

guest

this city is getting out of control with regulating peoples lives. how about concentrating on shrinking the size of city gov't and services so that so damn much of my salary doesn't have to go to feeding this beast?!!!

guest

exactly, they can't put that exemption rule in 11 single spaced pages?????????????

S.D.

As mentioned by Keith Olbermann:
And even though the new regulations don't mention any exemptions, the city claims this would not affect amateurs or tourists.
After all that has gone down over the last few years (i.e. Apparently Mayor Mike getting a Bike Seat stuck up his posterior) I'm not at all trusting of City Gov't.

If this does really not apply to Amateurs and tourists, it should implicitly say so.

JMH

In response to an earlier post on this topic, some commenter wrote a very well-reasoned explanation for why the proposed rules weren't nearly as bad as they've been made out to be. I can't seem to find it but if you're willing to consider both sides, it's worth looking for.

S.D.

IMO, #3 is likely correct...

Also, the link to the PDF was pulled from the site, but still there on the server.

guest

NONE of this is over. There should be NO rules restricting people from peacefully assembling in public spaces. This goes beyond film making and photography. It strikes at any of us creating work in the public space that may use video and photography to document the work.

guest

or cover their asses. NO PHOTOS.

then it's time to go covert.

guest

I agree with you on that, i'm tired of his o'reilly/ miss NJ rant. I wonder what's going to happen to his WSJ sources now that Fox owns them.

guest

C'mon folks, its just a scam to make sure the civilians can be stopped by NYPD from photographing or filming NYPD's activities. They'd prefer there be no witnesses.

guest

#1 and I were the only ones watching. I gave Olbermann a chance as a fellow Cornell graduate but he is rapidly losing his grip on reality. His almost nightly rants against Fox News and his almost nightly inclusion of Bill O'Reilly in the Worst Person In The World segment is an unhealthy obsession. And as a GE shareholder I would tell him to stop talking about the competition.