How are films shot on busy New York City streets?

(Ping Zhu)

NYC is actually very film-friendly, even if you're an indie film-maker with nothing but pocket lint. If you're not using more than a tripod and otherwise hand-held equipment, you can film wherever you want in NYC as long as you let people through when they want to go through. If you get up early enough, you can get footage in the can before people start walking through. You often want to be up very early anyway, because every film-maker loves the "magic hour".

To use major equipment, such as dollies, or if you want to claim "exclusive use" of an NYC street, normally you need a $1m liability insurance policy and then a $300 city permit application fee. You can apply for not only the permit fee to be waived, but also the insurance requirement.

You have to tell them exactly what you need for your production, and what you're going to do. One permit application can cover a laundry list of needs for an entire production. If you forget anything, you have to apply for a second permit. After that, you're generally at the mercy of the film department for "what they're going to do for you". I'm sure they treat Scorsese a little better than they would me, but officially, once I plunk down my application fee, I have just as much right to ask for that busy street to be closed off for my filming as anyone else.

Scott Danzig, independent film-maker

I have been told by the police that tripods are the big no-no. Once they see a tripod, they think that it's something big and they expect to see a permit. Strange, but true.

Steven Cantor, director/producer

NYPD has a program for relocating vehicles in the way of a parade or filming at no charge to the vehicle owner. To add to Scott Danzig's answer, all cars on the street that will be closed get towed to a nearby legal parking spot by an NYPD tow truck belonging to the tow unit, not a private company tow truck. Cars do not get impounded, they are relocated as a courtesy.

Leonid S Knyshov

The bottom line is that NYC is a very film-friendly city. It is such a boon to the economy – directly, indirectly, and from a marketing perspective – that the Mayor's Office has a special division that does nothing but entice film companies to shoot here by making it as easy as possible. (In fact, our biggest competition is Toronto, which advertises to film-makers that they can "get the New York look" a lot cheaper than filming in the real thing.)

David S Rose, lifelong New Yorker

This is an edited answer from How Do They Shoot Movies In The Busy Streets of New York? which originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and get insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.