Garda support to film/TV

irishrgr

Hello all,

A Happy New Year, especially to hose working the festivities in the emergency services, always a busy night.

I'm finally getting around to watching Love/Hate on Hulu over here. Brilliant show, addictive, well on our way through season three.

Watching it I see a fair bit of Gardaí be it officers or cars, etc. Made me wonder do the Gardaí provide support to the film/TV industry on some sort of reimbursement basis or do the producers have to source the kit (cars, uniforms, etc) from prop companies?

From a security POV, having actual members as extras and/or just supplying the kit seems the safest, that way there aren't uniforms etc that could fall into the wrong hands. Over here the agencies will provide limited support to the industry but most of it comes from prop companies, especially cars for any sort of chase scene. Mate of mine works in the industry, said there are warehouses full of NYPD, LAPD, etc uniforms. Badges are usually fake plastic ones, as are the prop guns, still it's weird to think it's out there.

Anyhow, cracking show.....back to the adventures of Darren & Nige....

Happy & Safe New Year to all,

A

da_hambo

irishrgr wrote: »

Hello all,

A Happy New Year, especially to hose working the festivities in the emergency services, always a busy night.

I'm finally getting around to watching Love/Hate on Hulu over here. Brilliant show, addictive, well on our way through season three.

Watching it I see a fair bit of Gardaí be it officers or cars, etc. Made me wonder do the Gardaí provide support to the film/TV industry on some sort of reimbursement basis or do the producers have to source the kit (cars, uniforms, etc) from prop companies?

From a security POV, having actual members as extras and/or just supplying the kit seems the safest, that way there aren't uniforms etc that could fall into the wrong hands. Over here the agencies will provide limited support to the industry but most of it comes from prop companies, especially cars for any sort of chase scene. Mate of mine works in the industry, said there are warehouses full of NYPD, LAPD, etc uniforms. Badges are usually fake plastic ones, as are the prop guns, still it's weird to think it's out there.

Anyhow, cracking show.....back to the adventures of Darren & Nige....

Happy & Safe New Year to all,

A

I believe the Garda Press Office deals with all the stuff for movie and tv needs.

But saying that its the same shoulder numbers going around the last few years. In Fair City, Love Hate and many more dramas. So Id would say there is a small pool of uniforms to go around.

Now the ERU in Haywire is another thing. Uniforms looked very official.

goldie fish

Don't go there.

There is a lad licenced to provide Garda uniforms to TV and Movie productions. RTÉ have a marked patrol car on their grounds.

unichall

The marked squad car is an ex patrol car bought by the production company and has magnetic markings and lights that are removed when not in use, also a garda has to be present when they are making the car up due to a call that was made by a concerned member of the public re a number of males doing a car up like a patrol car and the possibility that it may be used in connection with a robbery etc

kumate_champ07

garda uniforms dont go missing from tv/movie sets! when you get fitted for a costume theres paperwork involved anyway.

you can get them if you are a production company and need it for a movie/tv

kumate_champ07

not sure about the police but the army in America have their own department that deals with tv/movies and you dont get official support unless you show them in a positive light

irishrgr

Thanks lads, good info. All makes sense, the show is brilliant, certainly shows the underworld side of things.

Yeah, the US Dept of Defense has a section in the Public Affairs office that will provide support to film/TV, as stated above, if it is in a good light. It all has to be approved and then 100% reimbursed to the govt. That's where they got the planes for Top Gun and the choppers for Blackhawk Down.

Some of the bigger police agencies will provide some support as well but not to the extent of DoD. There is enough of the prop stuff floating around and it's probably cheaper/easier. Biggest challenge is between reality and what a producer wants it to look like for film/TV. That's why you plenty of wrong uniforms and police procedures except for the odd high quality show's like The Wire or The Soprano's, etc.

Cheers, lads, hope it was a good New Year for all concerned....I was off and safely in with Mrs Irishrgr by 2300....must be getting old...A