It’s just a movie
I was heading home from work today, and just so happened to get on a bus driven by my friend Valerie (we went through training together and always chat when we get the chance). She told me that earlier in the evening she had pulled up to a stop on East Lake and seen a woman in a bus shelter lying on the pavement in a pool of blood! MT has been on high alert because of the shooting yesterday, so she immediately pressed the emergy button, which summons police and medical personel. She radioed the control center, telling them of the situation. Moments later, a group of people ran up to her yelling “it’s ok! It’s ok! We’re filming a movie!” Sure enough, a cameraman emerged from the shadows, and the “dead” girl got up, unharmed. She radioed control again, updating them on the situation. Their response was “are you telling us that someone is filming a gory movie, without a permit, using one of OUR bus shelters?” Of course, they still sent out police to the scene, and Valerie kept moving.
Then, a memory came to me. This is where it gets really bizarre:
I have a friend named Alex, who is a film student. About a week ago, he called me to ask if I knew where to get an old bus shelter, or if it was possible to buy one. Suspecting that this was going to somehow be involved in a film, I ask him “why don’t you just use an active one?” He explained that the film was going to involve guns and blood, and if a passerby saw this, there would be trouble. I told him I’d look into it, but it was unlikely.
I called Alex as soon as Valerie finished her story, thinking that this was way too bizarre to be true. He picked up, saying “I think I know what this is about.” He wasn’t in jail, and, in fact, was still filming. He had actually obtained writted permission from the Minneapolis Police Department to use a bus shelter to film his movie, and even shelled out several hundred dollars for liability insurance. The problem was, the control center is in direct contact with the Metro Transit Police, not the Minneapolis police. The two departments had never communicated on the issue, and Metro Transit had heard nothing of it. Once the MT police got to the scene, Alex argued with the them for quite a while, and eventually the Minneapolis police showed up. The two departments started bickering amongst themselves over which department was at fault, and Alex was off the hook.
So next time you see a woman lying in a pool of her own blood in a bus shelter, remember: it’s just a movie.
Apr 23rd, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Hello. This is the Alex mentioned in the above story. I just have to mention that it’s accurate except that it wasn’t my movie, nor was it I who had shelled out for insurance, nor was it I that argued with the cops. That would be RoseMary, the director of the film. I am the film’s production designer (i.e., props, sets, costumes, etc) and thus am responsible for the fake blood which caused the stir.
We did indeed look into buying/renting an unused bus shelter or building our own, knowing this would be an issue. However, it simply was not within our budget. But the show must go on, so there we were, on Lake Street, with fake blood everywhere. We had of course cleared it with the cops, not that mattered to Metro Transit. Thankfully, we got all the film we needed. Apologies to anyone who saw the “blood” and was disturbed.
Apr 23rd, 2007 at 11:40 pm
I was a drama/film student in school. As much as I appreciate authentic scenes taken in real enviorments, that is not always right, given certain circumstances, As in the cases with the recent rash of violence on the Metro Transit buses.
This done in poor taste. Simple as that.
Apr 24th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Fuck taste.
Apr 24th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Poor Taste?
Why because the scene captured on celluloid might possibly encourage metro transit police to use their time protecting and serving civilians? Rather than going off on a power trip and wasting almost two hours arguing with a bunch of film students who were insured and permitted to be on the location.
The only reason the issue was contraversial was because they were trying to cover their asses, if they cared about civilian saftey they wouldn’t have wasted so much valuable time with us. It’s all a matter of image.
Also, regardless of the timing, this script was written over six months ago, and most of it inspired by life expierience. We are not mocking or making fun of transit tragedies, in this scene we are stating that public saftey is indeed in jeopardy.
So Miss. Melody, next time you’re waiting for the bus, and a group of men come up to assault you, and there’s no one there to help you–think about “poor taste” and then think about the rent-a-cops sitting in their warm cars wasting their time stroking their egos and sipping coffee.
Apr 24th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
We made that bus stop safe. More people should film movies in rougher parts of the city, it would make it a much safer place to live. No one’s going to mess with a 10 person film crew.
Apr 25th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
I don’t wait for the bus.I DRIVE the bus. Maybe you should get a job in the real world. Explain to me how shooting movies with blood makes the bus stop safe?
And who is your audiance, and where can I see this film?
The MTC cops see blood, fake or not, have every right to question it. Who was arguing? Film students who feel they don’t have to answer to the police, yes MTC cops are police not rent-a-cops.
So, Miss RoseMary, While you work on your school project. I will be driving my bus. If I see a scene such as described, fake or not. I will deal with it as if it were real. I hope you have a car, and don’t need to risk yourself waiting for buses in rougher neighborhoods. Just filming them sounds about like all you can handle.
Apr 26th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!1 I couldn’t agree or said it any better! Thank you for defending our police They also have jobs as police officers in other areas such Mpls. and St. Paul, Etc. And Dear miss RoseMary, Our police are not waisting their time, some day you might need one, Hope you can show them a little respect! They are our best asset to our company and we are proud of them, Thank You Melody!
Apr 26th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Where do you think I got the idea for this film? Of course I don’t have a car, I utilize metro transit whenever I;m not riding a bike– and sometimes, it’s pretty fucking scary.
I do have a real job, in the real world, how else would I be paying for this film?
If filmmaking isn’t a real career, then why is it such a profitable industry? And why is the entire world so obsessed with movies, and the people who make movies?
We were more than prepared to answer to the police, we had a city pemit, and were in contact with the MPD, they were more than helpful with the making of this film.
All that I can handle? If only you knew what it took to make a film.
For you to say that making films is “all that I can handle” is a compliment.
Driving a bus is probably “all that you can handle”–>I know you don’t have an easy job, I know you see horrible crap everyday and you deal with a lot of crazy people. The difference here is, you don’t even have a glimpse of what it’s like to direct a movie that you saved three years to pay for, so please, “lock it up” don’t argue about something you don’t understand.
The film we are making has nothing to do with metro transit, has nothing to do with bus drivers or transit police, in short, it’s about what it feels like to be a young woman struggling to support herself in a not so welcoming world. As a woman, I’m sure you can realte to that.
We’re making a beautiful short film, I assure you, we are not making a gore-fest that points fingers at the transit system.
When it is finished, I would be more than happy to send you a copy, I am really proud of what we’re doing and I think you might be surprised.
So, cheers to another woman working an “untraditional” job. Keep up the good work, and so will I.
Apr 27th, 2007 at 1:17 am
This sounds like a huge misunderstanding between the Minneapolis PD and the Metro Transit PD. Alex, Rosemary, etc., were well within their right to be there, but due to poor communication between the two police departments, it all went awry. I’d have done the same thing in Valerie’s situation (if I didn’t know Alex, that is). Chalk this one up to poor communication between the MPD and the MTPD.
May 10th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
I agree with Melody. I’m sure transit drivers are trained to react this way when they see a dead body lying in a bus shelter. I’m not saying the film is in poor taste, but Rosemary’s reaction is in poor taste. Try to put yourself in a drivers shoes coming upon this scene, especially considering all of the shite they have to deal with on a regular basis. Also, perhaps you could have picked a less populated street to make your film. Lake Street??!! And you are surprised someone called the MPD?!
Feb 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
This may clarify things, and everybody calm down, already…. It was technically a jurisdictional thing since it actually took place IN a bus stop. Minneapolis Police never had the right to grant Rose Mary permission to film IN A BUS SHELTER. That permission could only come from MTC, who would then direct her (the filmmaker) to get her permit. The shelter ITSELF is the critical point here. Think of a U.S. Embassy in a foreign country, and you begin to get the picture. It may be in Manila on the other side of the world, but it is “NOT on Philippine soil, it is on U.S. soil.” Crimes occurring in and enforcement of laws within bus stops, on rail platforms, etc, etc, are the sole responsibility of the Metro Transit Police, not the Minneapolis or St Paul Police Depts. Those city departments will reluctantly respond if called, but immediately want to know “exactly where the incident took place” so that they can (hopefully) turn it over to MTPD, thus keeping their OWN crime statistics down. I recall an incident a couple of years ago wherein a man boarded a bus on Como Avenue at night claiming to have been robbed while waiting for the bus. MTPD had no units available, so St Paul was summoned. The St Paul officers very reluctantly took charge of the situation with the understanding that the case WOULD be turned over to MTPD ASAP.
One other thing, and a freindly word of advice. Don’t anyone ever let your anger get the best of you and refer to or think of Metro Transit Police as “rent-a-cops”, because nothing could be further from the truth. They are real cops all right, with more authority than any St Paul OR Minneapolis officer (as well as Bloomington, Richfield, Fridley, St Louis Park, etc, etc, etc officers) can muster since they have jurisdiction in the seven county area that Met Council and Metro Transit provide service to. Rentacops are your garden variety security guard. Transit cops can arrest and throw you in jail for violating laws as quick as any other cop. Rent a cops can’t do that.
Sep 1st, 2008 at 1:52 pm
At first I was a little bit interested in seeing this ‘film’ then after seeing the ‘director’s’ and a ‘crew’ members mentality ill pass. And its not only a jurisdiction issue. The film crew/director or whomever is in charge is at fault. Its your responsibility to control the film location/set. Are your in film school, you should know this either way, right? It doesn’t sound like the area was secure to shoot at- when you have a shoot/location open to the public is it not YOUR responsibility to cover probable occurrence (like a bus or a broad side of a barn). What was your contingency plan? To have everyone run out saying ‘its just a movie’ if a bystander or vehicle happens by. To late ,damage done, did you have the insurance for a psychiatrist/therapist for the 2 year old who happened to see the bloodied girl and didn’t understand it was a movie? Who had the ‘title’ in you 10 person crew who’s job it was to find out exactly the permits needed (you ride the bus regularly and it didn’t occur to you at least notify Metro Transit? Pure and simple unprofessional neglect on your part.
Some day you will probably need a “rent-a-cop” Hope he too busy taking a call because of a irresponsible ‘film crew’.
No wonder most movies today suck, look at the kids making them.
EPIC FAIL!