Paris has always been a very popular place to shoot action scenes for movies. Its bright architecture and cobbled streets add character to the scenery rushing by in the background of car chases and fast paced shootouts. However, due to the recent terrorist attacks on the French people, the Prefecture de Paris will not be allowing studio crews to shoot action scenes in the city. This is a well-founded move and will hopefully serve to contain some of the fear that surely still runs rampant in Paris’ citizens.

According to Variety, police commander Sylvie Barnaud said that she and her colleagues are trying to limit violence against actors uniformed as police officers. This becomes even truer when we take into account the scenes that these actors engage in, which often mirror police activities accurately. Additionally, she mentioned that sounds of fake gunfire or bombs and intense car chases could frighten people in the area. The restrictions for the film crews were thus created to help limit the amount of potentially chaotic events in Paris after the recent terrorist attacks.

Also, the precautions taken by the Prefecture de Paris will not negatively affect the film crews themselves.  First, there are other cities for film crews to shoot in, the closest being London, which is only a train ride away. The narrow streets and alleyways are also known to be notoriously difficult for film crews to maneuver. For American film crews, it will not be difficult to find a city in the United States with a more open plan, such as Salt Lake City, characteristically known for it’s wide streets, to create their scene more effectively.  Additionally, with today’s incredibly sophisticated technology, crews might not even have to leave the studio.

There will be those who claim that this act of banning action film crews from working in Paris is the result of petty fear. And of course, when working there, film crews bring a large amount of money into Paris, and there will surely be opponents to the damage this could have on the city’s economic prosperity. However, I feel that the benefits will outweigh the costs, especially in terms of public safety and the general quality of life of Paris’ citizens.

In general, the most advantageous procedures in maintaining the safety of a city and its citizens stem from proactive measures. These preventative restrictions on film crews will at the very least effectively decrease the amount of fear among citizens. Most of all, this preventative act shows the Prefecture is truly concerned about their city. They are choosing a course of action that will decrease the likelihood of further threats to a place that they love. Film crews can always decide to shoot elsewhere, especially when the safety of Paris’ citizens is a top priority. Thus though the Prefecture de Paris is acting out of fear on some level, this is a well-founded fear stemming from the need for protection and the need for reviving the strength of the entire population of Parisians. These restrictions are a step forward not only in maintaining the peace, but also in furthering the emotional recovery of the population by restoring their confidence in their local government.