Press Passes and "AAA" pass - Festivals

[ssim]

Excellent post Bumgardnern. At least we know the OP got his pass for who he knew and not what he could do. A huge difference. Anytime I have worked an event that I had credentials at it was definitely work. Shoot run to the media center to get something off to the editors and then do it all over again. Have I ever been stopped by security while doing a job, certainly and once they knew who I was and what I was doing all was fine. They were doing their job just like I was doing mine.

[fergus123]

Originally Posted by BreitlingFan

At concerts/music festivals, it's my experience that, if you're getting hassled by security, and you're credentialed, you probably deserve to be hassled. It's all a question of how you conduct yourself. I've never been hassled when shooting a show. Ever. In fact, I've had security go out of their way to help me.

The OP, I suspect, is someone who rarely, if ever, gets into the pit or backstage at even the most mundane shows...

yeah, i guess you know me well......, i have been to like 50 festivals over the past few years

[fergus123]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferghk/...7627559753185/


my personal flickr page ...... has the photos from the festival.

[BreitlingFan]

Originally Posted by fergus123

yeah, i guess you know me well......, i have been to like 50 festivals over the past few years

Wait, you mean like 50 whole festivals over a few years?



I work in the music industry. I know a lot of famous people. I'm backstage far more often than I'm in the audience or in the pit. I would never think to look down my nose at someone who doesn't have a laminate to go where he wanted just because he doesn't know someone in the band, or someone on the show staff.

Learn to have some humility, Junior. It'll serve you well...

[isoMorphic]

Don't matter who you know good Security is hard to find and even harder to keep around once they "build a reputation". Event photographers (not to sound insulting) are pretty much a dime a dozen and every guy wants to be one so he can meet lots of ladies. I worked in the protection field for many years on shoots for Movies, Commercials, Videos, Fashion Shows, After Parties, Personal Protection and as a bouncer in 6 different clubs from night to strip. Lots of guys want to work in event security too until they end up with a fractured skull or worse.

Working in the filming industry is what actually got me interested in Photography. We never got much time on the set while having to people away and making sure nobody screws with generators or cables and things of that sort. But security as others have said is there to do a job so they can get paid and you want consideration but again they want to be paid. It's your choice if you want to live on the sideline or kiss up to productions people who likely wont remember who you are the next day.

Here in the US i've had people want special treatment hand me $20 and in most cases (not all) get what they want. Others expected some type of favor and i would demand $100 and give them a line of BS about possibly losing my job yada yada. This always made the ones who were stupid enough not to offer me something to begin with feel extra super special. Reality is that in most of the places i've worked security dictates how things roll. Simple because when things get out of hand we take the punches or throw them depending on how things pan out.

Now if you want to continue going to events with an expecting special treatment because you have a nice camera then by all means. On the other hand if you take care of security the first time around you might get some real special treatment the next. FYI i've worked on sets with Oliver Stone and even thrown his call girls off a set once and it don't get much bigger then that. I got my ass chewed by a Production Assistant for that one but when they say nobody is to disturb the man that means nobody.

[fergus123]

okay festivals in the UK are kinda different I guess.....

yes I have been to 48 festivals over the past 8 years....