Send five copies of the finished script for military approval. The process of getting military approval begins at the script stage. The military frowns on stories that include coverups, conspiracies or characters who involve the news media due to perceived internal military indifference. On the other hand, flawed characters that happen to make poor decisions are fine. As long as the story proves the military system works and clear consequences for bad actions are shown, certain realities of life will meet approval. Genre films have more creative leeway than drama or historical.
Submit four copies of what you need from the military base for your film production. Be clear on what you are requesting. The military receives plenty of calls for assistance every year. The wish lists can range from simple stock film footage to weeks of filming on an aircraft carrier. The clearer your request is, the easier it is to pave the way toward project approval.
Provide a letter of credit to confirm you have the funds to pay the base for any overhead costs. Budget as if you are paying for everything you are asking for. You may get a lot for free, but you will not know for sure at the beginning. So if you have a low-budget movie, keep in mind that fuel for aircraft carries an extremely high price tag. You will also be required to provide proof of adequate film industry standard liability insurance.
Obtain your assigned military project officer. When assistance is granted, a base project officer will be appointed to work on your production. The project officer is responsible for coordinating military base support for the film and ensuring the movie does not deviate from the originally approved script while being filmed. Often, this project officer will also double as the technical adviser.
Sign the Department of Defense's production agreement. This agreement covers issues such as safety standards, property damages and your production company's conduct while filming on base. For instance, the normal operations of the military may not be interfered with while shooting a film. Details on how to provide appropriate military film credits, advance screening rights and historical media material to the Department of Defense will also be covered in the production agreement.