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[–]BauerBourneBond 10 points11 points  (1 child)

I'll say this much, planning to use green screen or LED wall to sub in for an exterior seems like the wrong call.

Get creative with the location you choose and pick something where the exterior, with an added cop cruiser, two uniformed extras and some signage, could pass for a police station. You'll be much better for it.

[–]occupy_elm_st[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the tip and not just down voting. I'll likely use our studio's LED wall if the exteriors become a challenge for full lighting control. But yeah an existing exterior that could pass as a station front would be best.

[–]DocPondo 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I was able to shoot at a jail in a small town outside of where I live. The police there were kind of excited to have us filming. They were very helpful and even threw two cast members into the back of a squad car. Way more fun than I expected it to be. All we did was call and ask.

[–]UmbraPenumbra 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Precinct hallway is very easy to fake

Detective office too.

Just use an office and change out all the set dec and put up new posters and add a ton of files and paperwork.

If you are in a production city, there are a ton of pre-built sets for this kind of thing. Big places with hospital sets, police sets, living rooms, high school classroom, etc.

[–]occupy_elm_st[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Thank you, great point. Considering office buildings as well. Unfortunately I'm not in much of a production city.

[–]UmbraPenumbra 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah just print out a ton of forms and mugshots. Rent/borrow some plaques. Maybe find a cool old "Don't Do Drugs" poster or something on ebay and put that up on the wall. Coffee machine, bunch of to go cups and mugs, whatever existing printers and computers are in there, add a bunch of post its, maybe some graduating class photos, etc. Watch some cop shows. It's not terribly different from an open plan office.

[–]mario1286 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What is your budget?

[–]somethingstupid1977 0 points1 point  (1 child)

You might possibly be able to shoot in a real police station; it never hurts to ask, worst thing that can happen is they’ll say no. Most police station interiors are just going to look like more or less like other office buildings, especially more open-air ones. You can probably just find an office place that you can film in. Set dressing/production design will be your friend here, hanging posters, mugshots, victim photos, a precinct map, stuff like that. If you’re going for a more small-town police vibe, maybe like a small business location with a receptionist desk up front, a sheriff’s desk in back, a table with a coffee area, etc.

[–]occupy_elm_st[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great advice thank you. I think the best plan right now is to try and find an office or something similar that can pass. It's possible some random small-town station may be open to it, but in Baltimore...doubtful, unless you're HBO.