Film production at RATP: terms and conditions

Film production and professional photography are authorised across the metro network, subject to technical feasibility and approval from the line(s) in question (number of people involved, availability of RATP staff required to coordinate shoots, and availability of production dates).

The terms specifying the coordination of photo shoots, and the provision of equipment and staff assistance, will be formalised in a contract indicating the cost of the service.

Daytime film production, during passenger service hours

Filming is authorised on board trains from Mondays to Fridays between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. during passenger service hours, subject to approval by the Communications Division, and the availability of planned filming dates.

Crews must not exceed 5 to 10 people (technical and artistic teams, including extras). Only the use of lightweight equipment is allowed. Filming is authorised only on lines and in stations with low traffic. The terms specifying the coordination of photo shoots, and the provision of equipment and staff assistance, will be formalised in a contract indicating the cost of the service.

Shoots on board trains take place on metro line 3bis, which operates three-carriage trains that run in a 12-minute loop between Gambetta and Porte des Lilas stations. The central carriage can be privatised between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., subject to approval by the Communications Division, and the availability of planned filming dates. The terms specifying the coordination of photo shoots, and the provision of equipment and staff assistance, will be formalised in a contract indicating the cost of the service.

Nighttime film production, outside passenger service hours

On an exceptional basis, nighttime shoots can also be organised across the network between 1:45 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. from Tuesdays to Thursdays, subject to approval by the Communications Division, and the availability of the staff members and equipment required for the shoot. The terms specifying the coordination of photo shoots, and the provision of equipment and staff assistance, will be formalised in a contract indicating the cost of the service. Nighttime shoots are subject to a surcharge.

For greater ease, filming and photography can be held at Porte des Lilas - Cinéma station, which is fully dedicated to shoots.

Producers can reserve the station for eight-hour daytime shoots, during which a metro train can be provided (including a driver for a maximum period of five hours), subject to: 

• Technical feasibility (availability of equipment and staff, as well as approval from the metro line);
• Approval by the Communications Division, and the availability of the staff members and equipment required for the shoot.

The terms specifying the coordination of photo shoots, and the provision of equipment and staff assistance, will be formalised in a contract indicating the cost of the service.

Note: Porte des Lilas - Cinéma station is open exclusively for film and photography production. Events cannot be held at this station, or at ghost stations.

Sprague-Thomson trains were manufactured in consecutive series between 1908 and 1938. RATP’s heritage train model comprises the most modern carriages, which were built between 1930 and 1935, depending on the train carriages. These trains operated across the network until 1983.

Due to technical constraints, heritage Sprague-Thomson trains can no longer be provided for shoots.

Film production and professional photography are not allowed on board buses during passenger service hours. As such, we offer contemporary buses on loan for four or eight hours during the day, subject to approval by the Communications Division, and the availability of the staff members and equipment required for the shoot.

Note: charges vary according to the type of bus requested. A certificate of insurance, and a security deposit cheque are required.

The terms specifying the coordination of photo shoots, and the provision of equipment and staff assistance, will be formalised in a contract indicating the cost of the service.

To learn more on the history of filmmaking at RATP, we recommend Les lignes du 7ème art by Fabienne Waks, published by Cherche Midi editions. Through photographs, archives and various accounts from film shoots, the book traces the unique decades-long history intertwining cinema and public transport in the Île-de-France region.