Helping my friend to film her assignment was one of the scariest filmmaking experience I’ve ever had. We went the Queen Victoria Market to film for her adapted observational writing that took place at a coffee store there. The filming was going pretty good until a big bulky man with enormous facial hair came up to me. He’s wearing a neon green vest that sort of resembles a staff/security uniform. And I had a major panicked moment because I really didn’t want my student visa to be cancelled for doing illegal things.
And here’s the conversation.
security: Excuse me, what are you doing here?
Me: Um… filming for a uni assignment. Is that ok?
Security: No. You have to get a permission from the Market’s management team. You have to pack up and leave.
Me: Ok sure.
Something in his tones were really stern and scary and that had me backed off and didn’t try to argue with him or pretend that I didn’t understand English to get away with it.
We did pack up and leave for 10 mins. We spied on him and made sure that he had left and then back to filming again and didn’t get caught.