For a few months, we have been in the production stage for an upcoming documentary on Wild Bill Hickok. The premise of this short film is to highlight Wild Bill’s exploits at the actual, historical locations. We made a conscious decision to pursue the commercial route versus an editorial documentary. As such, this entire post is tailored to obtaining a commercial film permit. The process will slightly differ from site to site; however, here are the general steps and our tips for gaining access to U.S. National Park Service properties:
Contact the National Park Office directly and inform them you want to apply for a filming permit. This was our second time engaging the National Park Service (over two separate parks) and both times were quite positive experiences! The staff was helpful, responsive and assisted us through the process. It is recommended to log who you talk to, the dates and times, and be polite. People equally remember the personable and the disrespectful - each has a different outcome.
Don’t trust that the forms hosted on the park’s NPS.gov site are the current forms. Updates occur behind the scenes and we were stuck re-submitting after transposing our information onto an unpublished form. Contact the office and ask for the correct forms to save yourself some copy-paste time.
Remember, you are dealing with the government. Processing takes time. Allocate 30 days for form processing to avoid unnecessary panic attacks. Once the form is submitted (with the appropriate fees), it will be reviewed by the Park Superintendent. If approved, ANOTHER form is returned to you for a signature. Once you sign, it must be routed back to the Park Superintendent for counter-signing. After both signatures are obtained, the completed permit is returned to you. As such, a 30-day window will ensure these steps are done prior to your shooting on-location.
Fees are dependent upon your total footprint. To start the process, you can expect to pay a $50 non-refundable, permit fee. As an aside, the form requires a valid social security number, so I wouldn’t try to scam Uncle Sam.
Commercial park use fees range from zero to $750 per day depending on the number of people involved in commercial filming. The entire schedule is posted here, but I strongly recommend using a minimal crew. As we were a group of two (shooting B-roll), our usage fees were zero. There is also a $100 minimum fee per day for any involvement of a NPS employee; therefore, avoid filming in locations that require supervision or non-standard public access.
By policy, commercial shoots are required to prove they have general commercial liability insurance coverage for $1,000,000 dollars! There is also an optional bond requirement (via certified, travelers, or cashier check) to cover any site clean-up or potential damages to the national park’s property. Once again, keep your crew small and stay on existing paths to avoid these additional expenses. Our total fee amount was limited to the initial $50 permit filing fee!
Within the application, you will need to identify:
Number of persons involved,
Dates, times and locations from setup to tear down,
What gear is used (reflectors, lights, tripod, grip, etc.),
Any stunts, minors or animals,
Vehicle usage, including type, any air (drone) or off-road use,
Location of base camp.
I recommend having this information decided upon prior to contacting NPS. Briefly explain your project, highlight your ‘independent’ status, and express any budgetary constraints. If possible, leverage any online park maps, virtual tours, or Google Earth/Maps to help narrow down your locations prior to contacting NPS.
So far, we’ve discussed shooting U.S. National Park Service lands on their property. For more urban settings, there is an even more low-budget, guerilla way to secure your footage! A few months ago, I wanted an exterior shot of Saint Louis’ Old Historic Courthouse; however, the National Park Service fees and insurance was a bit too pricey for a few seconds of footage. Fortunately, the park's permit office felt my pain (yep...be personable) and identified the property boundaries for me. This saved me some hassle as the adjacent sidewalk is deemed federal, not city property. I was warned that due to the federal footprint downtown, I should expect to be stopped and questioned by federal and local law enforcement patrols. To reduce those headaches, I filed for a cheap $20 city street permit that granted me access across the street and provided some peace of mind should I be stopped. Golden hour arrived and the park service bike cops kept making their rounds; ostensibly, checking if I was encroaching on federal property. Just a bit of prep (a $20 permit and a quick phone call to identify boundaries) ensured a successful shoot.
We hope you have found this helpful. Please visit the Veteran Film Productions Blog page for more independent filmmaking tips!