Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Ok, Hi my name is Anthony,

I am a filmmaker. I currently have airsoft guns coming in the mail. Now, on film the orange tip looks bad and not realistic. I am curious, if i take off the orange tip for my filmmaking, would that cause a problem? There would be no BB's in the guns at all. So no projectiles would be flying. Plus having a camera around, wouldn't that show that there not real guns? I just want to avoid any problems with law enforcement and prevent the slowing down of the filming my short films.

If it is illegal is there anyway I could get some kind of permit to use them for my filmmaking? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-Anthony from BrokenGlassFilms

Ok, Hi my name is Anthony,

I am a filmmaker. I currently have airsoft guns coming in the mail. Now, on film the orange tip looks bad and not realistic. I am curious, if i take off the orange tip for my filmmaking,

Per CA PC 12553, altering for filmmaking is ok.

would that cause a problem?

A couple of things off the top of my head - If people can not tell you are filmmaking or you can not prove you are filmmaking or if someone does something REALLY stupid (e.g. pointing it at a passerby or worse, an LEO) with an altered imitation firearm.

There would be no BB's in the guns at all. So no projectiles would be flying. Plus having a camera around, wouldn't that show that there not real guns?

Nope.

I just want to avoid any problems with law enforcement and prevent the slowing down of the filming my short films.

If it is illegal is there anyway I could get some kind of permit to use them for my filmmaking? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-Anthony from BrokenGlassFilms

If you want to cover some bases - get a permit to film from the city or county; notify any/all neighbors of your filming in advance; notify the local LE agency/department with all your info, also in advance and on the day/night of; put up plenty of signs, tape, etc to show you are filming; have someone specifically in charge of any/all altered toy guns; have a lockable container for your altered guns; keep the guns in that container when not shooting; ETC...

If you're gonna mickey mouse/low budget it, the worst thing that could happen is that one or more of your people get shot/killed because you chose to cut corners...

Thanks for the help, I already have a case for my current prop weapons and the newer ones were just going to get added to that case. But thanks for the clear up.