Filming in a shop is not a question of law, it is a question of property. Whoever owns the ground under your feet decides, and the brief never says who.
Who owns the ground under your feet
The street
Public space is governed by general rules, and filming there is possible under conditions to be checked with the competent authorities. Two points remain true everywhere: an identifiable person filmed for commercial purposes is a separate case, and some public places have their own rules.
Shops, stations, gyms, shopping centres
These are private spaces open to the public. The owner sets the conditions and may forbid any filming without having to justify it. The fact that the place is freely accessible changes nothing about that status.
A home, a workshop, a restaurant
There, authorisation is easy to obtain but always necessary, and it must come from the person operating the place, not from the one who invited you.
Three particular cases need extra attention: places where minors are present, healthcare premises, and any site where personal information is visible on screen.
What the brand does not know it is asking
Six situations where a brief creates a problem without knowing.
A brief asking to film a product on the shelf, at a retailer that has authorised nothing.
A brief asking for a comparison with a competitor, filmed in a shop selling both.
A brief supposing passers-by in the background, with no provision for their image.
A brief asking to film a shopfront with the sign perfectly legible.
A brief setting a shooting time impossible to obtain on a private site.
And a brief saying nothing about the place, leaving the creator to carry the risk alone.
Good practice is to ask the question in writing before accepting: is the location authorised, and by whom. A serious brand supplies the authorisation or changes the brief.
Asking in a way that works
Seven elements of a request that gets a yes.
The name of the person in charge, obtained in advance by phone or message.
What exactly you are filming, in one sentence.
The real duration, generally shorter than the manager imagines.
The number of people present, often just one.
Where the video will run, information that changes everything in their risk assessment.
What you will not film: customers, staff, tills, screens.
And an offer in return where possible: mention of the place, a copy of the video, a quiet time slot.
The version that always works
Five fallback principles when authorisation is uncertain or refused.
Film the product at home, which most briefs accept when explained.
Film the shopfront from public ground, checking the applicable rules.
Film with no identifiable sign, which removes most objections.
Choose an independent shop, where the decision-maker is present and decides in a minute.
And propose a partner location to the brand, which moves the authorisation question to them.
What is asked according to the place
| Place | What you need | What happens without |
|---|---|---|
| A shop | The manager's consent | Being asked to leave, sometimes at once |
| A mall or a station | The operator's authorisation | A ban on the spot |
| The street | Nothing to film, everything to publish | A contested image right |
What is arranged before going in
The slot, the permitted aisles, an escort's presence, and an absolute ban on filming other customers. A shop is a private place open to the public, not a free space.
What protects a video shot outdoors
Framing that avoids faces, or written consent for every recognisable person. The exact framework of image rights varies and is confirmed with a lawyer before advertising release.
If you are asked to stop
Four moves, in this order.
Stop immediately, without arguing the substance.
Do not invoke the law on the spot: the question is property, not legislation.
Politely ask for the name of the person who can authorise, in order to come back differently.
And do not delete the footage under pressure, but do not use it either until the question is settled.
One last marker: in this kind of shoot, the skill that counts is not technical, it is administrative. A creator who obtains authorisations in advance delivers on time, invoices normally, and very quickly becomes the only one the brand calls back for that kind of order.
