How do I hire weapons/props/costumes from Foxtrot?

We will need from you:

A Purchase Order (PO) showing full company details.  (Once we have your PO, the item is booked, but not until then).

A copy of your Production Insurance showing that you have cover for hire of costume and props for film or TV.

We will require payment in full upon collection or before.

Payment by Cash or Cheque is fine.

We also accept Debit cards.

Credit Cards (4.55% surcharge for use of a credit card).

 

When hiring a firearm from us there are a few questions:

 

What do you want to see the gun do in the scene – does it fire or is it just being carried?

 

If “No, the gun IS NOT firing”

If just being carried and the camera is not too close on it, 1 metre away or more, then a Plastic or Replica gun will be fine.

A Plastic or Replica gun can be hired without an Armourer.

 

If “No, the gun is NOT firing, but it is close to camera”

You will need a Deactivated gun as you will see all of the detail that close to camera.

A Deactivated gun will be accompanied by an Armourer.

 

If “No, not firing, but I need to see it being loaded with cartridges”

You will need a Practical gun, with an Armourer and Inert Cartridges.

 

If “Yes, it WILL be firing”

Then you need a practical gun with an Amourer please contact us for a quote.

If chosen items are Prohibited Section 5 weapons, (pistols, semi or fully automatic weapons) then a 2nd Armourer, is required by Home Office Guidelines to accompany the Armourer in the vehicle.

 

What you need to do once the gun is chosen:

1.  Send us a Purchase Order to confirm the booking and we will require payment beforehand

2.  Send us a copy of your Production Insurance covering the hire of props,  (if hiring Replicas without an Armourer).

 

For collection of Replicas:

•   Bring your driving licence or passport with you so that we may take a copy to keep for our records please.

•  We will require you to complete, sign and date a release form, we will give you a copy of this to keep with the replicas at all times. This is in case the police stop and search you and we have a record of who has possession of the weapon and can verify that for the police, along with the Foxtrot delivery note to prove reason for possession.

• The hirer must be travelling in a private vehicle. NOT on public transport.

• That the hirer must collect and return the replicas and preferably be with them on set as well.

• That the replicas are collected / returned by the hirer, NOT by mini cab or by any other 3rd party.

 

The Police and Filming with Firearms:

You will need to contact the Metropoltan Police Film Unit (MPFU) to get their agreement beforehand for Film Work involving Firearms within the Greater London area.

They are very helpful, give them a call:  0203 054 5555 or their website is:

http://www.met.police.uk/filmunit/

They have a FilmLondon Location Filming Code of Practice PDF file that is a very useful check list, have a look at Section 14 for “Filming with a Weapon of any kind”.

 

In general, if you are on private property, are not overlooked or are shooting an interior with no blank gunfire, then the Police are normally quite happy for filming to proceed.

Giving the Police a copy of the script pages for the scene involved can also be useful.

However, any blank gunfire or the possibility of a member of the public seeing ‘a man with a gun’ in a public place, then calling 999, having not seen the camera and crew tucked around the corner, is always the major problem that the Police will be concerned about.

No matter how unlikely, this must be discussed with them prior to filming to avoid a real armed Police response.

Filming can take place in extremely public places using firearms, with Police agreement. This often means the Production paying to have a uniformed Police presence on the day, every case will differ slightly but, the key thing is that the Police are aware and in agreement beforehand with Production.

We are very happy to assist Production or their Location departments in any dealings with the Police prior to filming to smooth the process.

Once the Police are happy for the proposed sequence to procede, a Film Weapon CAD (Computer Aided Despatch)will be raised on behalf of that Production. Each CAD has a number, which should be passed to us so that we can link the CAD raised by Foxtrot, across to the Production CAD.

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Foxtrot Productions will attend to the following:

1.          Risk Assessment…

Health and Safety Risk Assessment for the Production Files, drawn up to cover the specific requirements of your shoot.

To do this we will need from Production a few days beforehand:

•   Production Company details,

•   Script pages of the scene,

•   Full location address, filming dates and approx times,

•   Names of the following crew members:

•   Producer,  Line Producer,  Director,  1st Asst. Director,  Stunt Co-Ordinator,  SFX Supervisor,  Production Manager and  Location Manager.

•   Phone numbers for the 2nd Asst. Director and for the Production Office.

(Most of the above details will be recorded on yesterdays call sheet, just send us that?)

Once the Firearms Risk Assessment is completed, checked and signed by the Supervising Armourer, it is emailed across to the 2nd A.D. and / or Production Office for inclusion on the relevant days Call Sheet.

 

2.      Safety Equipment…

When there is a booking involving blank gunfire, Foxtrot will supply a safety box containing eye and ear protection for cast and crew. No charge for use of safety equipment other than consumable flesh coloured earplugs for cast and hi-viz plugs for crew.

Foxtrot can also supply a Steadicam Crew safety package with fireproof heavy coats, gloves, hardhats fitted with Lexan visors and ear muffs to protect the Steadicam Operator and Focus Puller when working very close to blank gunfire.

We also have Lexan riot shields for camera protection.

 

3.      Secure transport…

Firearms are transported from our Armoury to set and return in our designated secure vehicles.

 

4.      Met Police Film Weapon CAD…

At least, the day before filming, we contact the Met Police Control Room and raise a Film Weapon CAD, giving details of firearms and persons booked for working at the location, this will be linked to the Production CAD  arranged beforehand for the days filming.

There are many details to attend to in the preparation of filming scenes with firearms for all concerned. If you have any questions or concerns, about any aspect of this, no matter how small, we are very happy to assist.

Please give us a call… it’s all part of what we do.