Blanca Valbuena

What are the laws about filming in Lisbon?

AskCategory: ArtWhat are the laws about filming in Lisbon?
Glover asked 6 years ago

Our small indie studio based in Toronto is planning on doing a short film that takes place in one of the old neighborhoods in Lisbon. Preferably the Mouraria or the Alfama. We are looking for a few things and someone suggested asking here because I know Antonio from another NYU Tisch colleague.

We are looking for:

  1. Location with a garden and probably a large living room. This can be anywhere as long as has some nice moldings and space has to be large.
  2. Location with a terrace that is about 200 meters squared.
  3. Location with a window with view of the April 24th Bridge
  4. Street Location that has cobblestones and some brilliant looking buildings around it. A tram would be nice.
  5. 3-apartments to house 15-people (this can be anywhere in city)

    We would need it for 10-day shoot max and our budget is a bit under 30k for the whole shoot with permits and rentals. We may add 5k for some equipment rental since we may be missing some of our gear in transit.

    Also do you know what are the drone rules for filming? We have really pushed drones for filming because of the tracking so we want to make sure we are compliant with local laws.

    If you have any of these or suggestions where to find a realtor or apartment who can help would be amazing.

    Thanks,

    Glover

2 Answers
Blanca Valbuena Staff answered 5 years ago

You may want to check Airbnb for both the loding and the filming locations. There are some listings that will allow filming. That will make it a bit easier to find an apartment (just give them an idea of what your filming, it will make it easier for them to accept your request.

Location with a window with view of the April 24th Bridge. For this you will want to look for places in Alcantara or Belem. That's probably the best area for a view of the Bridge.

Street Location that has cobblestones and some brilliant looking buildings around it. A tram would be nice. You'll want to stay mostly in downtown Lisbon. Only issue you will find is that there are tons of tourists in the areas with trams. You can try filming early in the morning, or maybe a neighborhood like Campo de Ourique (the 28 goes there and stops at the Prazeres Cemetery stop). Does it have to be a tram or can it also be an elevator (like a funicular)?

I'll see what other ideas I come up with .

Blanca Valbuena Staff answered 5 years ago

And on your drone question, here's what I was able to dig up on drone laws in Portugal.Yes, they are legal and can go up to 120 meters in Portugal. However, if you are planning on flying them in a historical site, you will need a special permit. You can't fly it at night.

tThere are some "no fly zones"

  • embassies
  • military services
  • security agencies
  • rescue services
  • prisons
  • educational centers
  • Places where more than 12 people are gathered.

    I am sure there are more laws, but these should get you started on your project :)