Respecting Casts and Crews in Alberta

Edmonton Sun Columnist Kerry Diotte commented on photographer Dave Buston's criminal charges for trespassing on the set of The Assassination of Jesse James. I responded with the following letter:

Mr. Diotte,

I find it somewhat difficult to sympathize with photographer Dave Buston's situation regarding his criminal charges stemming from his incident on the set of The Assassination of Jesse James. I also believe it's unfair to label the film production as the bad guy, especially since Mr. Buston was apparently trying to get photographs to "pay for his kid's hockey camp." In attempting to get near a closed set, he knew he'd be potentially breaking laws and should have been aware of the results, yet he chose to ignore them.

While he may not have been "screaming gibberish and disrupting filming," he was likely there to take unauthorized photographs of the film production and its stars. Fort Edmonton Park does indeed have some of its areas closed off to the public, but this is certainly no different than film production that occurs in many cities around the world. Closing off of public areas is unfortunate, sometimes for a few hours or even several months, but it's done to protect the privacy and more importantly, professionalism of the cast and crew, letting them do their jobs without interference.

Most of us don't appreciate constant interruptions while doing our own work, so why should film cast and crew be subjected to the same? Bottom-line, the Hollywood film and television industry is a business. Each production is also usually established as a separate ‘business’ entity. Many businesses don't divulge corporate secrets and allow photography of production processes, so why would the film world be any different? While Mr. Buston is considered a respectable award-winning photographer, his statement and actions echoes those of the paparazzi, who chase media stars for profitable photographs. Again, I refer to "paying for his kid's hockey camp." Paparazzi style photography could be considered tantamount to corporate espionage, where a film's look and secrets could leak out and affect the financial aspects of the studio and film. All of these actions, no matter how small, could have an effect on jobs here in Alberta or elsewhere.

Though it isn't industry standard or obligatory, perhaps an Alberta press conference with the cast and crew would help to ease relations between them, local media, and the public. It would also generate more interest in the production and help showcase Alberta's film industry. However, if they did one for Alberta, then every province, state, or city would likely also want one; so one can see the complexities of doing so.

As an amateur photographer, I understand the excitement at getting that 'next great shot' and I do agree that people shouldn't be subjected to harsh treatment from non-local businesses, but in this case, I'd say the studio is justified in its actions.

Respectfully,

Chad Kerychuk

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Mr. Diotte also replied to me commenting that I had made several good points. I thank him for his follow-up.

Stars have come to expect paparazzi snapping away wherever they go, however in Alberta, where we are trying to foster an enjoyable and respectable working environment for film and television productions, such actions become especially damaging to the entire provincial workforce. Granted Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may be dubbed 'Hollywood's hottest couple' by the media and having them in Edmonton is exciting for the city, but I believe Albertans should reaffirm our respectful nature through how we treat them. Allowing the celebrities to enjoy local museums, shops, and restaruants without being mobbed or photographed at every chance, keeps our city in high regard in the eyes of Hollywood and stars in general.

Even when the general public tries to capitalize on the sightings by selling snapshots to tabloid magazines (as evidenced by this Edmonton Journal report), it reflects poorly on not only Edmonton but also Alberta's professional reputation. Thankfully it sounds as though these incidents have not been common during the filming and most fans have been respectful of the cast during production and their off-time.

Hopefully film studios such as Warner Brothers, the company behind The Assassination of Jesse James understands that these actions do not reflect the attitudes of most Albertans and that we all take it personally when a few individuals tarnish our reputation. Though I have no official connection to the film, I have every confidence it will complete production in Canada without major problems. I'm also positive Alberta will continue to be a first-rate choice for large-scale and independent productions.

I know a lot of the readers of this blog are people looking for work as extras or hoping to get into the film industry in Alberta as a professional. There's a chance some of you know people that may be considering selling photos of productions or stars to media outlets. As somebody with a stake in the media production industry in Alberta, I urge you to please ask them to consider the impact it could have on all of us.

Thanks.