Overview
Productions involving prop firearms or other weapons require clear and proactive communication with faculty, staff, campus officials, property owners, law enforcement, and other relevant parties. These email templates are designed to help productions provide consistent, professional notifications when weapons-related elements are being used during filming.
Weapons-related communication protocols exist to prioritize safety, reduce misunderstandings, and help productions operate responsibly within both university and public environments. Even clearly fictional or non-functioning prop weapons can create concern if their use is not communicated properly in advance. Standardized notification procedures help productions meet safety expectations while reinforcing the professional responsibility filmmakers have when working with sensitive production elements.
Public Locations
To: Local Jurisdiction Police or Sheriff’s office
CC: ejacob@fsu.edu (FSUPD Lieutenant Edwin Jacobs)
CC: jstone@fsu.edu or tciarlariello@admin.fsu.edu (Head of Production)
Subject: FSU Film School: Prop Weapon Use Acknowledgement (Public Property)
Hello, my name is [#########]; I am a film student here at the FSU College of Motion Picture Arts. I’m producing a student short film that will be filmed on [Date] & [Dates], which will include the filming of a non-fireable prop weapon [describe weapon, and how many]. We will have an assigned student armorer managing the weapon(s) at all times, except when the actors prepare for the scene, at which point the armorer will announce and transfer the weapon to the actor. When the actor completes the scene, they will transfer the weapon back to the armorer, who will then announce that they are in possession.
We’ll be filming at the [insert information on location and address], which is open to the public and/or visible from the outside. We will be posting signs alerting the public that filming is in progress.
The 1st Assistant Director will make safety announcements involving the weapon at the start of the day and when the scene is being set up for filming.
The Producer will contact local jurisdiction dispatch and/or Consolidated Dispatch, and FSU dispatch when the scene is within 30 minutes from being filmed.
As per university requirements, I am attaching our Prop Weapon Authorization Request to inform your department(s) about our project and use case. It is for acknowledgement purposes for local law enforcement. It highlights the address, the filming dates, the armorer on set, and how the prop weapon will be used during filming.
Thank you for supporting the Film School, and please let us know if you have any questions whatsoever. We appreciate your time.
Best,
[Name]
Producer, [Show Number & TItle]
[Contact Number]
[Contact Email]
Private Location
To: Local Jurisdiction Police or Sheriffs office
CC: ejacob@fsu.edu (FSUPD Lieutenant Edwin Jacobs)
CC: jstone@fsu.edu or tciarlariello@admin.fsu.edu (Head of Production)
Subject: FSU Film School: Prop Weapon Use Acknowledgement (Private Property)
Hello, my name is [#########]; I am a film student here at the FSU College of Motion Picture Arts. I’m producing a student short film that will be filmed on [Date] & [Dates], which will include the filming of a non-fireable prop weapon [describe weapon, and how many]. We will have an assigned student armorer managing the weapon(s) at all times, except when the actors prepare for the scene, at which point the armorer will announce and transfer the weapon to the actor. When the actor completes the scene, they will transfer the weapon back to the armorer, who will then announce that they are in possession.
The 1st AD will make safety announcements involving the weapon at the start of the day and when the scene is being set up for filming.
We’ll be filming at the (insert information on location and address), which is on private property and not visible to the public. (Update this If visible to the public.)
The Producer will contact local jurisdiction dispatch and/or Consolidated Dispatch, and FSU dispatch when the scene is within 30 minutes from being filmed.
As per university requirements, I am attaching our Prop Weapon Authorization Request to inform your department(s) about our project and use case. It is for acknowledgement purposes for local law enforcement. It highlights the address, the filming dates, the armorer on set, and how the prop weapon will be used during filming.
Thank you for supporting the Film School, and please let us know if you have any questions whatsoever. We appreciate your time.
Best,
[Name]
Producer, [Show Number & TItle]
[Contact Number]
[Contact Email]
