The RCAAM list serve has discussed this often.

Short version:

Do not let anyone in the production touch anything. Seriously, they have no
clue at all and usually there are  10-20 people in a room with cranes and
cameras an lights and microphones and food... none of them could care less
about your things.

They will ask to drill holes in your house, move doors, open windows, duct
tape on rugs, they will ask to eat on your china, and sit on your couches.
No, really, they will. The producer may not, but the actors and gaffers and
camera people will.

Have two members of your staff paid for by the production, watching all of
the filming and give them absolute veto power on anything the production
asks. Large filming projects are never in only one area, and they have
12-16 hour days.

Create severe limitations up front and remove anything of real value that
can be removed.

Have it in the contract that they have to supply their own power, they have
generators and they can use them. Make sure they understand exactly where
cords and cables can go, that they cannot use duct tape on the floor, that
they cannot go to lunch and leave all the doors open.

There are about 20 more things that have been discussed, please listen to
other museum professionals and do not trust the production people, their
job is to make a movie, that is all their job is, and all of their staff
are used to working in sound stages with fake things that they can break,
tear, spill on, step on, and where they have absolute control over sound,
props, crowds, etc.

And most of all, do not believe they have so little money, they are flush
with cash compared to your museum.



On Fri, Jun 22, 2012 at 12:06 PM, Elena DiGrado <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> I was wondering if anyone can advise me on creating policies for
> commercial filming at their site. Does anyone have policies for commercial
> filming set in place at their site that I may look at? The organization I
> work for is constantly bombarded by production companies wanting to film at
> our historic houses or uses objects in our collection. My director tends to
> shy away and say "no," to commercial filming, but we have recently received
> a very persistent (and well funded) production group who would like to use
> areas in our house for scenes in a movie. Our main worry, of course, is the
> safety of our collection and the integrity of our historic house, but this
> production company is willing to work with us on restriction and use of our
> house and collection. Can anyone advise me on this particular subject? I
> need to write restriction policies on food, lighting, movie equipment,
> handling museum objects, and more! Please help.
>
> Thanks
> EmdS
>
> Elena D Sanderlin
> Museum Registrar
> Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic House Museums
> 820 Saint Louis Street
> New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
>
>
>
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