Ask us
The Movie Lot and its directors, have been in the film, television and security business for over 30 years working on 1000’s of productions.
We are proud to carry some of the highest accreditations in the business to ensure our clients are provided with the best service and give them confidence that we operate as a regulated provider. We currently hold:
Tony has worked in the Film and TV industry since 1988. He founded The Movie Lot in 1992 and is proud to have a company that has stood the test of time. Tony also appears on the other side of the camera and has featured in ‘The Football Factory’, ‘Eastenders’ and many other productions.
Spike joined the company in early 2000 and started running nights on Harry Potter, progressed to being Lead Man on ‘Tomb Raider 2’ in 2002. He went on to run a number of features and television series over the years. He is popular with Location Managers with his controlled manner and his clear direction of operational goals. His contribution to The Movie Lot, together with his forward thinking, motivation and vision, has had a positive impact and has assisted The Movie Lot in becoming one of the leading security and traffic management companies in the industry.
We are insured against all our business activities and are covered up to £10million for Public Liability, Product Liability, Pollution Liability, Professional Indemnity and Employers Liability.
We base our rates on industry standards taking into account potential threats, client profile and element of risk. Each project is assessed on an individual basis and we are always available to discuss any finer points. We do have a rate card which you can request by sending us an email.
Absolutely! No job is the same and we are always happy to chat through your requirements on the telephone and often attend recces and site visits. Just get in touch and we will do our very best to assist you in any way we can.
Just drop us a message on our Contact Us page and let us know your requirements. We need to know:
Yes, shifts are a minimum of 12 hours.
Drop us a message giving details of the value of assets to be protected along with location details and potential risk/threat levels and we can advise.
Yes, we will happily hold it in the diary for you but you must let us know at least 24 hours before if you need to cancel in order to avoid a charge.
You must cancel more than 24 hours before the first shift begins otherwise we reserve the right to charge a 10 hour shift fee.
We have been working in film and television for a number of years and are experienced in adapting to this dynamic environment. We pride ourselves on being able to meet the changing needs of a production often at short notice.
Our operatives are screened and vetted to BSI Standards BS:8406, BS:7690 and BS:7858. We hold the Safecontractor accreditation as well as ISO 9001 QMS which we are regularly audited for which demonstrates the high quality processes we are following within the company.
Our qualified in-house team initially performs a mini-vet where we require proof of address, proof of the right to work in the UK and a UTR tax number before work can begin for us. We also make sure that all operatives sign a company agreement and confidentiality agreement to ensure the adherence to the company’s strict policy on discretion and privacy on productions.
We have a detailed training path for operatives from a training matrix that includes an industry specific handbook and code of conduct and regular on site KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) by our company trainer. We also conduct on site training and offer a mentor service to allow new recruits to ask any questions or take direction.
All of our production security operatives come as standard in black boots or shoes, black trousers or combats, black top and will wear a Movie Lot High visabillity vest. This will ensure they are visible to client and a deterrent to possible unwelcome visitors. On corporate, red carpet or ‘Meet and Greet’ services we deploy guards in a black suit and tie and they will be very presentable. Traffic Management operatives will wear full High Visabillity that conforms to EN ISO 20471 Class 2 for road safety.
On a project with more than one operative, a Lead/Supervisor will be allocated and the client will communicate with them for instruction to the security team. We operate using digital time stamped logs which provide a live feed throughout a shoot. This enables Senior Movie Lot Management as well as the Locations Manager to monitor all on site activity.
Absolutely! All security guards must have an SIA licence and it’s essential to pass the course to have a good command of the English language. Without it, the SIA would not issue the licence.
When filming next to or on a public highway, it is a legal requirement to have control of the road. This will involve applying to the council/borough and highways for permission to film at the desired location. If this operation is not carried out with the correct paperwork, qualified personnel or signage, and there is an incident then the producers/1st AD are liable for prosecution.
You should always use a reputable Traffic Management company with the correct accreditations and insurances. Ensure you contract a qualified and fully insured company such as The Movie Lot and that the trained supervisors and operatives have the relevant qualifications to carry out the work safely.
Have a free telephone consultation or on site meeting with one of our experienced Traffic Management supervisors who will advise you on if you need a road closure or TTO (temporary traffic order) based on the acton in front of the camera.
Depending on which borough or council you are due to film in, a closure can take up to as much as 12 weeks and a TTO up to 6 weeks. Generally its less than this and one of the earliest considerations should be Traffic Management to get the ball rolling for applications.
The Movie Lot will produce a Traffic Management plan and RAMS in agreement with the Production derived from the site visit or telephone consultation. The plan will need to be approved by the highways department. The RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) will be signed off by a qualified H&S individual to ensure that the process is managed safely.
Yes, on closures. Usually 7 – 10 days before the closure it is necessary to erect advanced warning signs stating the dates and times of the works to inform the pubic and road users of possible future disruptions. TTO’s do not require advanced signs
Depending on how many control points and how many signs are needed to be, ask the supervisor before the works start and ensure they are early enough to put all the signage and operatives in position.
Only on a closure of a street will it be necessary to divert traffic on an alternative route with the use of arrowed diversion signs.
Yes, its a legal requirement and safer as it makes them more visible to road users throughout a shoot.
Technically no, a discussion between the 1st AD and the supervisor would need to discuss how to make the shot work within legal perimeters
Our operatives are screened and vetted to BSI Standards BS:8406, BS:7690 and BS:7858. We hold the Safecontractor accreditation as well as ISO 9001 QMS which we are regularly audited for which demonstrates the high quality processes we are following within the company.
Our qualified in-house team initially performs a mini-vet where we require proof of address, proof of the right to work in the UK and a UTR tax number before work can begin for us. We also make sure that all operatives sign a company agreement and confidentiality agreement to ensure the adherence to the company’s strict policy on discretion and privacy on productions.
We have a detailed training path for operatives from a training matrix that includes an industry specific handbook and code of conduct and regular on site KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) by our company trainer. We also conduct on site training and offer a mentor service to allow new recruits to ask any questions or take direction.
All of our production security operatives come as standard in black boots or shoes, black trousers or combats, black top and will wear a Movie Lot High visabillity vest. This will ensure they are visible to client and a deterrent to possible unwelcome visitors. On corporate, red carpet or ‘Meet and Greet’ services we deploy guards in a black suit and tie and they will be very presentable. Traffic Management operatives will wear full High Visabillity that conforms to EN ISO 20471 Class 2 for road safety.
On a project with more than one operative, a Lead/Supervisor will be allocated and the client will communicate with them for instruction to the security team. We operate using digital time stamped logs which provide a live feed throughout a shoot. This enables Senior Movie Lot Management as well as the Locations Manager to monitor all on site activity.
Absolutely! All security guards must have an SIA licence and it’s essential to pass the course to have a good command of the English language. Without it, the SIA would not issue the licence.
With our operatives on the ground 24/7 we are best placed to be the eyes and ears of the locations team and our digital time stamped logs helps provide a live feed ensuring potential issues are picked up quickly and dealt with efficiently. We are able to monitor deliveries and collections, heating/cooling systems, generator diesel levels/water & waste bowsers and react to wind damage or any other issues. Our job as security is to protect the Assets and IP of the production. We are able to assist in any way we can so long as we maintain our primary role.
Absolutely! Again, so long as we can maintain our primary role to protect the Assets and IP of the production alongside the task then we can assist in crew and tech parking.
Unfortunately not! Any work and filming carried out on public roads and on the highway MUST be carried out by properly qualified and trained Traffic Management Operatives with the correct CADS, RAMS and signage in place. It is not safe and is against our health & safety policies for security operatives to undertake this role. We have a fantastic in house Traffic Management team who can take care of this for you.
Our operatives are highly experienced and have been in the role of CP for a number of years. As with our security operatives, all CP operatives must hold a valid SIA licence in Close Protection which is renewed every 3 years with extra training. This training is much longer and more rigorous than that of a security operative.
We would need information on who the client is and the intended location so that we can assess the risk/threat levels involved.
Unfortunately not. The CPO is there purely to protect the client (the person) and not the assets and IP of the production. They are separate roles with different responsibilities.
Absolutely. They are highly professional and as well as signing NDA’s with productions directly as requested we also have our internal agreements in place.
These FAQ’s are archived
We have developed our own bespoke in-house training platform for our security operatives in Film and Television Security. It is not available to anyone outside of our organisation at the present time although we are developing a series of modules for new entrants to the locations department such as for Location Marshalls.
We expect to launch this in 2024. If you are on a job with us then drop us a message via the Contact Us page giving us the name of the production and location manager and we will get you enrolled.
Yes! There is a Bronze, Silver and Gold as well as a special one for Locations.
Yes. The modules are available via our eLearning platform and they can be accessed from any laptop or mobile device, 24/7.
