City Guide Filming in Brooklyn, NY
Production Permit Fees
- Film Permit Minimum Cost: To be determined by the OFTB
- Film Permit Application Fee: $300 (non-refundable)
- Timing: 48 hours for a simple filming permit
Minimum Insurance
- Commercial General Liability of at least $1 million per incident.
- Workers’ Compensation that complies with the NYS Law where applicable
- All other insurance requirements are to be communicated to applicants by the OFTB depending on the scope of the project.
Additional Permits
- Police and Fire Requirements: Request Police assistance as part of your permit application if needed, and contact the Fire Department for fire safety-related issues in your project
Discounts
About Brooklyn
New York is no stranger to film productions, and neither are any of the five boroughs in the city. Just as the nearby borough of Manhattan has long been a favorite destination for movie producers and features the most film projects of the five boroughs in the city, Brooklyn has also risen in popularity as a place to shoot films. This is more so considering the role in portraying American culture through theatre, cinema, and literature.
Brooklyn is home to hundreds of film productions annually and allows producers to use locations like suburban neighborhoods, homes, storefronts, streets, and parks. Even more, some locations in the borough pass for spots in other cities and places in the US, like Washington and Chicago. Steiner Studios in Brooklyn Navy Yard and Broadway Stages in Greenpoint are two additional reasons to choose Brooklyn for your film project.
If you’re still wondering what Brooklyn has to offer, then feel free to check out (if you haven’t already) movies such as The Godfather, Coming to America, Eat Pray Love, Black Swan, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as TV series like Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, Billions, and Girls as locations in Brooklyn were used in each of these projects. You will find your desired filming location in Brooklyn with Giggster!
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Brooklyn?
Not all filming activities in Brooklyn require a filming permit. To that end, there are clear filming guidelines by the Film Office in Brooklyn to help guide filmmakers on the permit application process.
You won’t require a permit if during your production:
Hand-held camera, prop or equipment
You will use a hand-held camera, prop or equipment, or a camera on a tripod.
Exclusive use of the city’s property
You won’t make exclusive use of the city’s property, or any prop weapons and vehicles
Actors donning police uniforms or perform stunts
You won’t use actors donning police uniforms or perform stunts
Parking privileges.
You won’t need parking privileges
Optional Permit or Letter
You may decide to apply for an Optional Permit under the conditions above if you wish to, but you won’t need to pay the application fee and won’t be asked to provide insurance. Instead, you will only be required to complete the application the same way you would have if you required a permit for filming. There’s a provision for you to request a Letter instead of an optional permit.
Required Permits
On the other hand, you require a permit if your production involves any of the following: You will use equipment packages and parking privileges for production vehicles You will make exclusive use of the property of the city You will use prop vehicles and weapons You will perform stunts and have your actors in police uniforms.
Students
If you are a student, you must apply for a filming permit too if you will be operating under the conditions that require a filming permit. In any case, after you receive your student film permit, you will only be allowed to film in residential neighborhoods until 11 p.m. after which you must call it a day.
Permit Management in Brooklyn
Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting
The office in charge of managing film permit processes in the city of New York is the Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting (OFTB). If your project includes activities that involve the police, prop firearms, or traffic control, you must put in a request for police assistance when applying for the permit and the office will assist with the process free of charge. A day before your shooting begins, reach out to the NYPD Movie/TV Unit to verify your request for their service(s) so that they will show up. Furthermore, it is up to you to reach out to the Fire Department when your production requires fire safety procedures.
To obtain a film permit in Brooklyn, here are the steps to follow:
Determine if your project requires a permit from the OFTB
Have your Certificate of Insurance ready and have it submitted to the OFTB at least 48 hours before you submit your application
Schedule a Pre-production meeting with the OFTB, preferably three weeks before shooting begins, but not later than five days prior
Get necessary approvals from other agencies/organizations that may require additional permits in addition to the OFTB permit
Apply for the permit online at least two business days before your shoot — it can take about 48 hours for the application to be processed
Notify the community at least 48 hours before the filming commences.
What Insurance Do I Need in Brooklyn?
According to filming regulations in Brooklyn, any filmmaker who requires a permit to film in the borough must provide Liability Insurance, except when they show that they cannot comply with this requirement, in which case, OFTB reserves the right to waive the liability insurance if they so wish. Filmmakers that don’t require a permit to shoot in Brooklyn don’t require liability insurance either.
For non-student filmmakers, the insurance policy must be at least $1,000,000 for Comprehensive General Insurance and it has to be sent to the OFTB at least 48 hours before you apply for the permit. Note that you are not to send in the Certificate of Insurance (COI) to the OFTB yourself, but instead, your insurance broker should. If you do not have an insurance broker, you may find one here.
Your company name needs to be the same as what is on the insurance certificate to avoid issues with your permit application. Additionally, the City of New York must be insured on the COI and be listed as the Certificate Holder. If the insurance policy is to be modified or canceled, the OFTB must be notified in writing seven days ahead.
For students, this insurance requirement will be covered under the insurance program of the school, but the student has to present appropriate documentation to show their active student status on the school’s letterhead.
If you can’t meet any of these requirements, you’ll need to explain in writing why you can’t meet the requirement to the Office. They will determine if the shoot can go ahead without the necessary insurance.
Note that these requirements are minimum requirements. Larger and more complex shoots may require additional insurance which will be determined by the Office.
What Kind of Filming Locations Are Available in Brooklyn?
Brooklyn is filled with lots of spots that can either be used as they are or fine-tuned to the taste of film producers to give the perfect location for diverse needs, whether it is to present a high-class urban space or showcase another part of the US entirely. It’s one of the things that makes Brooklyn such an attractive destination for filming.
The Brooklyn Public Library — with its sixty branch locations in the borough - is one of the assets that the borough boasts of which has been used for movies and TV shows, thanks to the architectural styles that vary from branch to branch. TV series like Luke Cage, The Americans, and Law & Order SVU are some of the projects that have been filmed here. The Brooklyn Museum is yet another beautiful location that has a glass pavilion area (Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Pavilion) that easily passes as an airport in commercial shoots, or an embassy.
In addition, Brooklyn is home to beautiful streets and roadways that meet the needs of filmmakers looking to portray outdoor settings. Examples include 4th Street at Bond Street, 6th Avenue at 1st Street, Bedford Avenue at Nassau Avenue, East New York Avenue at Utica Avenue, and Gowanus Expressway. Besides, the borough provides easy access to several bridges like 9th Street Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, and Carroll Street Bridge that can also serve as great filming locations.
The parks and parkways in Brooklyn, such as Prospect Park, Belt Parkway, Saratoga Square Park, etc. are great locations that offer the opportunity to feature a lake, forest, bike paths, playground, and other fascinating backdrops in film projects.
Special Requirements in Brooklyn
Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS)
There are some properties and facilities in Brooklyn that are overseen by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) such as different City buildings, City Courts, State Courts, and all Borough Halls. To film in any of these places and comply with Brooklyn filming laws, you require a DCAS film permit which you have to submit with all required forms and a fee of $3,200 to DCAS Special Events at least four business days before you commence preparation for shooting.
Other things to know about the DCAS permit include:
Obtain this permit before applying for the OFTB filming permit;
The $3,200 fee is separate from the $300 film permit application fee – both are non-refundable;
Liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence is required;
Workers compensation insurance is required
Brooklyn Bridge Park
The film permit application process for Brooklyn Bridge Park, being a city park, is slightly different from that of the OFTB. City of New York parks generally require applicants to complete an online form which the applicable park manager will process in five business days for approval.
As for Brooklyn Bridge Park, important information about the application include:
Application fee is $26 (non-refundable) inclusive of a $1 credit card processing fee;
Application must be sent in at least 21 days before shooting commences to allow to proper processing times;
Permits are not issued to applicants for weekends or holidays, but weekdays only;
You will be required to pay site fees which will be sent to you after your application is assessed;
Insurance is required (for both student and non-student applicants);
Students can use their school insurance program;
Parking is not available for motorhomes and production vehicles;
Applicants can fill a questionnaire to make further inquiries about the process
East River State Park
The East River State Park (also known as Marsha P. Johnson State Park) is a state park in Brooklyn that lies along the East River and is open to filming activities. The first step to securing a film permit here is to fill a NYS Parks Film Shoot Request Form to allow the state park management to determine if your permit request can be considered. This process takes at least five days, and if successful, you will be required to pay a permit application fee of $30 (non-refundable) with your complete permit application.
Your application will be processed in 7-10 business days and you may be asked to pay additional fees after your permit is assessed, depending on the scope of your project. You may also be required to provide additional documents such as a site plan, film script, certificate of insurance of $2,000,000 aggregate general liability, etc. Student filmmakers will require documents like their valid student ID as well as a document from the school authority that certifies their active student status to film in the park. Filming for students is only allowed on Mondays to Thursdays.
What Does it Cost to Film in Brooklyn?
Permits are free for students who have demonstrated their active student status by providing appropriate documents as required by the OFTB and are covered by the school’s insurance policy. The DCAS fee is payable to the New York City Department of Finance.
Additional Fees
A permit fee waiver may be granted by the OFTB to a filmmaker who can demonstrate that they cannot pay the required amount due to some form of hardship — this is totally up to the OFTB to determine.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Brooklyn?
Brooklyn has extensive water borders, so much so that the only land border it has is shared with the borough of Queens to the north and east. Its water borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and the Lower and Upper New York Bays to the west. The borough is connected to Manhattan across the East River by three bridges, a vehicular tunnel, and subway lines. The filming requirements in all the five boroughs of the city of New York, particularly the two that are closest to Brooklyn - Queens and Manhattan — are the same as those in Brooklyn because the film permit process in all these locations is managed by the OFTB. Similarly, where DCAS properties are to be used in these adjoining boroughs, the requirements of DCAS cover them all the same. The same applies to requirements for the city of New York parks therein.
Outreach in Brooklyn
As part of the filming regulations in Brooklyn, each film production team is required to provide adequate notification to the residents and businesses that will be affected by the film project at least 48 hours before filming begins. This not only includes neighborhoods where the active filming will go on but also other areas where vehicles will be parked, where base camps will be set up, as well as the meal areas for the film crew. The city provides a sample letter for every filmmaker to use as a template for the notification letter to be sent out so that all pertinent information about the film shoot will be included.
Community Management in Brooklyn
Filmmakers will be pleased to hear that there is a structured way of getting across to the local communities where they wish to film in Brooklyn, and that’s through the community board. Working with any of the 18 community boards in the borough that encompass all the neighborhoods makes it easy to know what the concerns of the residents about a filming project are. Plus, producers can connect to the City Council District and Business Improvement District of the applicable neighborhood where the filming is set to take place.
Conclusion
Brooklyn always presents film producers with much more than they bargained for — and that’s in a good way — which makes the experience of filming in the borough one to cherish and look forward to. Whether you require a permit to film here or not, you will feel welcome both by the residents, businesses, and the permit issuing agency. The locations in the borough never disappoint either.
Obtaining your permit to film here in Brooklyn is rather straightforward as the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment through the Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting makes the filming regulations in Brooklyn clear and accessible to all and offers assistance with some additional services to make the production hitch-free. What you will need to do is pay the application fee, present the needed insurance, and abide by the stated timings and filming laws, and you’re good to go. It always helps to carry the community along too and you can quite easily accomplish that because of the organized community relations system in the borough.
Prepare to include Brooklyn in your next filming project to see what this beautiful borough offers.