I've Been An Amateur Photographer For Years. This Clip Opened My Eyes About Filming Crowds And Cops!
This was originally created when the Occupy Wall Street movement was very active and the police encounters that happened featured riot gear, jackboots, tear gas, and lots of violent force. I'm so happy those days are over ... oh, wait. Anyway, here's a guide on to how to film when the situation gets rough out in the streets. See you there?
It's worth watching this when you have the time because it gets into strategies when you have multiple people filming. But these are the five key takeaways:
When things start to get ... interesting, shout it out. Get those cameras going!
Vertical video syndrome is a thing, y'all. Don't do it!
Especially when you're at an event where things might get out of hand (or things might fly at you), you'll want to stay in the game and record it for others by keeping a safe distance.
Similar to #3, don't become a statistic! Watch what's going on and film it, but if things get dangerous or otherwise begin to spiral out of control, get to a safe place or find a way to keep recording without risking life, limb, and equipment.
Make sure you know your rights when it comes to recording cops and other people and understand when you are stepping over the line. You can't record the events going on around you if you're in handcuffs, being dragged off to a police cruiser. Similarly, you can't make that great video you want to go viral if the cops intimidate you into surrendering your rights.