Coffeeshops and Camcorders?

intricatethakid · Post by **intricatethakid** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 04:44 pm

So I'm heading to the Dam in 16 days and my friend lent me a very nice Canon camcorder for the trip. I'll be spending 4 days in the Dam and I have about 10 hours of tape to burn. It is my intention to do a ton of filming of everything while I'm there, come back to the States, import all the videos, edit them, and then pop out a nice little Amsterdam mini first trip documentary.

Now I'm no film professional, but I'm pretty sure I can put together a little something in Windows Movie Maker.

So my question is, what's everybody's experience with Coffeeshops and camcorders? I've read that its best to ask in each coffeeshop if its okay to use one? And to be careful of other customers because some might not want their faces on film?

I'm just curious though, has anybody brought a video camera with them to the Dam? Have you found most people/coffeeshops to be okay with this? Or have you run into issues?

Of course, my intentions are to put together maybe an hour long film from everything I've taped and eventually host it up for everybody's viewing pleasure.

But if I'm going to run into issues in coffeeshops, perhaps I'll just keep the filming to me and my friend's adventures everywhere else in the Dam.

SiGh · Post by **SiGh** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 05:34 pm

Ask the budtender i guess. If i was chilling in a coffee shop i wouldn't want anyone filming me, but each unto their own i guess.

Pauli Wallnuts · Post by **Pauli Wallnuts** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 05:38 pm

you can only ask, just out of curiousity what are you gonna film the buds, customers or staff selling buds, i cant see them allowing the last 2 + theres a few vids on youtube of people filming different buds so you should have some luck there, though if i was sitting in a coffeeshop & someone pulled out a camcorder & started filming me without notice, depending on my mood i would get up & walk out or smash the thing.

USbongLord · Post by **USbongLord** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 05:46 pm

never a problem.....

intricatethakid · Post by **intricatethakid** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 05:46 pm

Well just to better explain myself, I'm not planning on actually filming other people without permission or candidly. I'm well aware many people go to coffeeshops to enjoy some nice private time etc. I was hoping to at least get on film my friend's first reaction to his first smoke (in the Dam of course, he's a veteran smoker), possibly get some footage of the buds/menus, as well as possibly the rolling process of the j's. Possibly meet some of the locals, and get their viewpoints on marijuana and Amsterdam's system of tolerance. (I live in the US, and the fact that one can walk into an establishment and purchase marijuana without police interference is literally shocking lol) Obviously the person's permission would be required for this. And just to note, I'm not planning on just walking up to random strangers for this. If I happen to make conversation with a few people in coffeeshops enjoying a smoke, perhaps I would eventually get to asking them if they would mind stating their opinion on film.

Perhaps outdoor cafe's would be better for footage? That way I would be able to record my friend while getting a good view of the street traffic and how things flow in the streets of the Dam without having to worry about fellow coffeeshop customers getting caught in the line of fiming.

But like I said, if this type of thing is not common, then I will keep the recording to outside of the coffeeshops.

CHELSEA_SMOKERS_SOCIETY · Mon 27th Apr 2009 05:51 pm

it'll be fine to photo and video all you want.

out of politeness we always ask the budtender if its ok to take photos in each coffeeshop (except in places we know it is ok).

i do the same thing with windows movie maker.

check my two attempts:

2005 trip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSP-TsCD ... annel_page

2008 trip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yRy9Yrd ... annel_page

Pauli Wallnuts · Post by **Pauli Wallnuts** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 05:55 pm

i cant see them having a problem with anything like that, hope you have a good time, wish i was going in 2weeks

sh@dy · Post by **sh@dy** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 07:12 pm

ask the staff, thats the golden rule about coffeeshops

titus wong · Post by **titus wong** » Mon 27th Apr 2009 10:03 pm

Pauli Wallnuts wrote:though if i was sitting in a coffeeshop & someone pulled out a camcorder & started filming me without notice, depending on my mood i would get up & walk out or smash the thing.

what the man said.

USbongLord · Post by **USbongLord** » Tue 28th Apr 2009 02:36 am

titus wong wrote:
Pauli Wallnuts wrote:though if i was sitting in a coffeeshop & someone pulled out a camcorder & started filming me without notice, depending on my mood i would get up & walk out or smash the thing.
what the man said.

why would someone film you you didnt know?...and i wouldnt go smashin a strangers camera..could get ya real hurt or wet even...i would smash the stranger instead...pickin on peaceful innocent cameras isnt nice....lol...cheisel dancin in my mind

Sir Niall of Essex-sire · Tue 28th Apr 2009 04:05 pm

If someone was filming me in a coffeeshop i would ask them to stop, but im sure no-one else would really mind. Just ask, politeness is the key.....

CHELSEA_SMOKERS_SOCIETY · Tue 28th Apr 2009 07:20 pm

i'd wave and have a puff on the joint if someone filmed me.

i dont see the problem.

i do also like to wave at tourists videoing when they are wandering up and down damrak or oxford street.

i wonder how many peoples holiday videos im on around the world.

Sir Niall of Essex-sire · Tue 28th Apr 2009 10:06 pm

CHELSEA_SMOKERS_SOCIETY wrote:i'd wave and have a puff on the joint if someone filmed me.

i dont see the problem.

i do also like to wave at tourists videoing when they are wandering up and down damrak or oxford street.

i wonder how many peoples holiday videos im on around the world.

If some little shit puts the video on youtube and im sitting there puffing away on a huge dooby, if loose my job, that simple.

Life exisits beyond amsterdam, unfortantly that life is alot less tolerant than the dutch.

Ash333 · Post by **Ash333** » Wed 29th Apr 2009 01:18 am

Sir Niall of Essex-sire wrote:
CHELSEA_SMOKERS_SOCIETY wrote:i'd wave and have a puff on the joint if someone filmed me.

i dont see the problem.

i do also like to wave at tourists videoing when they are wandering up and down damrak or oxford street.

i wonder how many peoples holiday videos im on around the world.
If some little shit puts the video on youtube and im sitting there puffing away on a huge dooby, if loose my job, that simple.

Life exisits beyond amsterdam, unfortantly that life is alot less tolerant than the dutch.

Exactly.

There are a fair few people that visit coffeeshops that cannot have their picture online associated with ganja.

Not out of choice, but the fact that they'll lose there job.

You'd hate to make someone unemployed just for your holiday video.

USbongLord · Post by **USbongLord** » Wed 29th Apr 2009 03:16 am

sigh....if ya walk outside you take a chance of being filmed...if ya go in a shop and smoke ya risk the chance of being filmed...a few shops have webcams...so,in finishing,,id like to say..stay home if ya dont wanna be filmed..if ya get canned for smokin,well..life goes on and ya wernt supposed to work there anyway....a new job awaits with new friends that might not give a shit...the old job people were uptight bastards anyways