25 March 2008

Some Thoughts On Filming In Canberra

| Ozhair
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I was part of the film crew that was shooting on Athllon Drive on Friday, as mentioned in a previous thread. It was an interesting weekend, and all went reasonably well. But it did leave me with a few thoughts. The main one being that there are drivers in Canberra who are complete f@cking morons.

In compliance with the police requirements of the permit to block the road, we had witches hats, barricades and big yellow signs saying “Road Closed” across the road. And drivers would STILL squeeze around the barricades to drive down the blocked-off section. The classic was the driver of a light truck who drove over the curb to get past the barricades, squeezed past a car parked across the road with its hazard lights flashing, passed three people waving their arms and yelling at him to stop, and finally only stopped just before he reached where we had people and equipment all over the road because the 1st AD stood in front of his truck. When asked if he’d seen the Road Closed signs his reply was “Yeah, but I was only going through to the other side”.

When it became clear early in the piece that barricades alone wouldn’t be enough, we acquired some flouro vests from the local constabulary (who were very helpful) and added people in front of the barricades. Even then, there were numerous exchanges like this: “Can I go through there?” “No. See the sign? The road’s closed.” “Yeah, but what does that mean?”

People, if there are big signs up saying the road is closed, consider that it may be for a reason. As well as people and equipment on the road, there was also a stunt sequence of a driver swerving in and out of our pre-set traffic and onto the wrong side of the road. During these sequences we made doubly sure of our lockdown, but given what I’d seen earlier, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see someone blow past all security measures anyway.

The other lesson learned: You can discharge a handgun numerous times in the carparks of the Tuggeranong Hyperdome in the early evening and recieve no reaction whatsoever. 🙂 (This was done with permits, police knowledge and a fully qualified armourer on set)

But all in all, the footage looks awesome. Keep an eye out for “Crossing The Line” at local film festivals (it’s a short, so won’t be getting a full cinema release).

Cheers

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Vic: Yep, that was also us 🙂

Felix the Cat8:54 pm 25 Mar 08

Has anyone else noted that blokes wearing fluoro vests driving commercial vehicles seem to be the main offenders when it comes to driving and parking anywhere they feel like?

I reckon taxi drivers are by far the worst offenders. Even if there is a perfectly good parking space only a couple of metres away the cab driver will generally ignore it and pull up in a driveway, middle of the road or some other equally inconvenient (to other motorists) to let the passenger out or pick one up.

Vic Bitterman8:19 pm 25 Mar 08

Were you also filming something at the Isabella Plains shops on Monday arvo?

VY – Don’t forget the mobile phone seemingly glued to their slightly ‘tarded heads.

Ozhair said :

realityskin: If there were no blockades up, you probably went past just before or after we got started, when there were just a few cars by the side of the road while we aited for the detour signs to go up at the other intersections.

Or you might be referring to Sunday night, when we were shooting in the carpark, and there was no requirement for blockages.

As to what it was about, we were shooting a locally produced short film.

Pug, I know what you’re saying. In our case, the detour signs went up, then the blockades, with the reverese happening as soon as we finished. But if people are complacent about signs staying up for ages…

It was Monday night 🙂

meher baba said :

However, there is one thing that I think all RiotACT posters could do with me in solidarity to discourage the self-centred phallusheads on our roads and that is, when lanes are merging and one of those infuriating people comes zooming past all the cars waiting patiently in line and tries to push in, please stay really close to the bumper bar of the car in front of you and keep them out.

I just hope you are not talking about doing that where it says form one lane, as then you would be breaking the law. I have been informed by ACT policing that the car in front has the right of way, when I became confused after moving down here from sydney.

The place ACT driver get into trouble is with real merging lanes like the monaro highway entry at Fyshwick, where the people leaving Fyshwick have to give way to traffic n the highway, but they can’t understand that.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

Has anyone else noted that blokes wearing fluoro vests driving commercial vehicles seem to be the main offenders when it comes to driving and parking anywhere they feel like?

They’re not blokes, they’re Blokes. And they are allowed to go faster through school zones, too.

Meher Baba, you’ll open a can of worms with that one! Not sure if you’re an old rioter with a new name, or a brand new rioter. Anyway, click on “transport” and read a recent thread about such doings.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy3:56 pm 25 Mar 08

Has anyone else noted that blokes wearing fluoro vests driving commercial vehicles seem to be the main offenders when it comes to driving and parking anywhere they feel like?

Most people who use our roads are remarkably responsible.

Unfortunately there are also many self-centred people of low intelligence in this town, and a large proportion of these possess drivers licences and have access to cars and trucks.

Maybe I’m pessimistic, but I’m just glad about every day that goes buy and I am lucky enough not to cross the path of one of them.

However, there is one thing that I think all RiotACT posters could do with me in solidarity to discourage the self-centred phallusheads on our roads and that is, when lanes are merging and one of those infuriating people comes zooming past all the cars waiting patiently in line and tries to push in, please stay really close to the bumper bar of the car in front of you and keep them out.

If everyone would join forces to do this, we would eliminate at least one form of self-centred, moronic behaviour from our roads.

Sad but true, Canberra drivers are incompetent, aggressive and rude.

In Sydney, they are aggressive but far more competent. Melbourne, incompetent but not so aggressive.

IMHO, anyway.

realityskin: If there were no blockades up, you probably went past just before or after we got started, when there were just a few cars by the side of the road while we aited for the detour signs to go up at the other intersections.

Or you might be referring to Sunday night, when we were shooting in the carpark, and there was no requirement for blockages.

As to what it was about, we were shooting a locally produced short film.

Pug, I know what you’re saying. In our case, the detour signs went up, then the blockades, with the reverese happening as soon as we finished. But if people are complacent about signs staying up for ages…

While we’re on roads being closed, recently in Qbn there was resealing of Bungendore Road and the Spotlight roundabout. Hoorah for fixing the road, boo to there being no detour signs, and other signs up for weeks before/after the work so that noone knew when they should or shouldn’t obey them.

As soon as people lose confidence in the veracity of a sign its little wonder they drive through, although with obvious barracades and fluro vests stupidity apparently reigns supreme in Tuggers.

i drove past that , nothing was blocked off .. what was it all about ?

Pretty much confirms what we see on the roads and in public on a daily basis. You haev to wonder though, why is it so? I’m wondering if it’s because, essentially, there’s no one making people obey the rules. There’s no sense that it’s important to obey the rules. There’s a very strong “I’m all right Jack so screw you” mentality on our roads, look at how people queue right across roundabouts during rush hour.

Here’s a good example:

In Queanbeyan, Yass Raod now has a school 40 zone (operational only during start time and home time). Now, you’d think most people would understand why we haev school 40 zones. I don’t particularly support children and families, but I reckon that 40 in a school zone is just plain common sense, as kids are mad and I don’t want to hit one.

But. In this zone, where teh cops often set up a speed trap, you see teh drivers mostly slow down as they enter teh zone, craning their necks to see if teh cops are there that day. If the cops aren’t outside the Bowlo, they speed up! Even if there’s kids festering around on the roadside or preparing to use the crossing.

Have they thought what’ll happen if a kid does something kid-like? How that kid will bounce off their car, blood, screaming, horror, etc? No, apparently if the cops aren’t there, it’s OK to go faster. I just don’t get it.

Get the cops back out there, cos the only way we’re going to see driver behaviour change is if they’re kicked into line.

aww c’mon, don’ be so harsh – they all knew what was afoot and were just crossing the line…

It’s just another Canberra case the “Nah, those barriers/signs/rules apply to other people, not me” syndrome.

CanberraResident11:44 am 25 Mar 08

It astounds me at how embarrassingly stupid some people in our society can be … unfortunately, simple things like road signs need to be spelled out 88 times before it registers. People either have no common sense, or expect the rule to be changed just for them. Self-absorbed fools, the lot of them.

All the best with the film.

Hmm says some interesting things about Canberra drivers or at least those “special ones” who don’t have to comply with posted road signs etc.

The handguns and Tuggeranong Hyperdome is begging for a comment but I’ll leave that to those with a more acerbic wit than I.

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