8 Film & TV Location Scout & Management Tips!

The job of a film and television location manager requires an extremely diverse set of skills. In today's episode of Guerilla Filmmaker, we talk with veteran location manager Jeff Shepherd (Shameless, Parks and Rec, Straight Outta Compton) and discuss 8 of his essential location hacks. These hacks include not only the pre-production location scouting phase, but also some practical on-set location management tips as well.

Stay tuned to the end for a chance to win some cool prizes!

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[aputurelighting]

What's your favorite location hack? Tell us about it!

[AJAblog]

Building a relationship with the community is huge. I run a small production company out of Indianapolis and so building relationships with local reality agencies either residential or commercial really helps! Sometimes there are places that are abandoned or just empty. Also just asking permission from the land owner works fine too. A lot of those people are very excited to help...if they can get some still frames of the location.

[ryanfox]

Of the multiple methods and tips on location scouting, there is one tip that is a complete deal maker or breaker; Power Supply (e.g. outlets). If the location does not have quality power there, things can be charged or even turned on, so, for me, that is the biggest thing for me on my location scout. Love all your vids. Thanks!

[lytranDP]

My hack might not work for everyone else, but I just graduated and I keep my student ID to humanize myself to strangers and get a more lenient if not free location. It definitely saved me on a few music videos.

[atherion]

My tip is to ask friends if they know anyone who can hook you up with a location. More often than not, the "8 degrees of separation rule" plays in your favor, and the friend of a friend of a friend has lets you film at his/ her awesome location.

[cameronwashick]

Major tip: Don't just scout a location VISUALLY - but for ambient sound as well. If it's indoors, is the AC too loud? If so, can you shut it off? Is it near a highway? A railroad? To go even further, could the local sound be used to enhance your film? Maybe it could add to the production value.
The director and the production team will need to know these things. It can be easy to forget, but even still - sound is half the picture.

[PunkWithACamera]

When Shooting on a no budget short film when i was 19 (currently 21) I went with my adoptive father who said "Hey lets go check out that spooky building, " because I had talked about doing a horror short! We were gonna go and ask permission to get inside and see if it was really scary. However we thought if its really not that scary or run down that it wouldn't be worth our time. So we checked it out when nobody was looking, and it was a very scary abandoned brewery that had laid vacant for so long that if you google it, the actually google results are "Abandoned Falstaff Brewery." So after seamlessly walking onto the property since there was not anything at the time to keep a curious young film maker out, we decided to go up the stairs since the basement floors where under water. Around the third floor we found ourselves hearing noises. Scared we thought it could be a drugged up homeless person as they were very rampant in the abandoned building in the area with a recent stabbing in the news the day before we went to check out the location. With the noises growing louder with each step that we escalated up the cracked concrete stairwell. We mentally prepared for the worst to either fight or run. Quickly turning the corner in hopes of getting the upper hand on our aslant we screamed at the top of our lungs in fear at a pigeon who's echoed quails sounded of the most demeaning noises. Rightfully frightened my self at 19 and my adoptive father in his 40's both agreed that place was indeed scary and worth out time, and we wound up getting the location for free winning 3rd place in the short and creepy film that we entered. If something as innocent as a pigeon's noises can scare even the largest of men, your location will be worth filming in.

[bacnic]

Another tip is to take photos of the place in order to put back everything where you found it and check if something is missing or broken before and after.

[adamogden]

taking 360 photos are a great way to be able to look back on a scout and see the entire location again. If you don't have a 360 camera you can use the google street view app for iOS or Android.

[Jawmsie]

This is more of a tech-scout tip, but

Gaffers; Get a circuit tester, learn where the fuse box is, and what switches control which clusters of outlets. It's not really important if you're going to be using LEDs, but if there's a chance your DOP will want to break out some tungsten kit, it's good to know:

A) If that's even an option,
B) Where to run cables from to avoid overloading anything,
and C) How to get power back up if/when you blow a breaker.

Seems like a no-brainer, but I've been on sets where that information was not readily available, and it can get pretty annoying.

Bonus tip: It doesn't hurt to make a rudimentary floorplan for yourself with all power outlets marked on it.

[JloezaJl]

If you're doing a smaller production, Always keep in mind ease of access to your location. If it is a fair walk from the closest street, think of how that translates to moving your cast, crew, and gear. As a student film maker just getting his feet wet, I find that sometimes the coolest location may not be the most accessible, and the last thing you want is a crew low on moral from 30 minute walk with fairly sized gear.

[swoice]

If you're scouting an indoor shoot, make sure to test the electricity! This will save you time and money. I once worked as a DP on a shoot with a full lighting package but there was only one functional outlet on location. Would've been great to know in advance.

[Luckylukeproduction]

ANOTHER TIP is LOOKING FOR SOUND is the room echo or is the sound noisey due to the highway next to the building.

[mauraflores]

Scouting in context is very important, like if its a scene at a graveyard shooting at 12 PM on a rainy day has the funeral vibe to it, but if you shoot the same place at 9 PM on a hazy night, it gives off more of a scary movie vibe. Remember, no matter how amazing something might look when youre scouting it and you take that picture at golden hour, if it has nothing to do with the story, then whats the point? STORY IS KING!

[AlexMilanese]

SCOUT AT THE RIGHT TIME OF DAY! For example, if you're shooting a dialogue scene between two actors in a park in the morning, be aware that the same park can look (and sound) drastically different in the morning, at noon, at golden hour, at dusk, at night, etc. So, think about what time of the day the scene needs to take place and scout for that scene at that time of day so you won't be surprised on the day of production. There are plenty of locations that look great at golden hour, for instance, but won't necessarily fit your needs if you're shooting a scene that's supposed to take place first thing in the morning.

[lermmysquirm]

If dealing with a small and or local business, explain to them your filming situations. Small businesses often like to help out and tell them they will be in your credits respectfully. Also on the same note as taking photos, taking video i think is that little extra so you can actually see the whole space and its entirety. It gives you that little extra peace of mind on how the location will feel and look.

[bacnic]

Check for power outlets and take notes on their position in the rooms and ask for the whereabouts of the general switch before a black out happens during the perfect take. Search for gear storage space too...

[RobV]

Maybe this sounds silly but if you're just starting out or are really under a budget crunch you can ask your friends or family if you can use their place, or revisit the script and see if you NEED the Great Wall of China in your shot, or just some set decorations to give that impression. For more official jobs another tip would be to have a location release form signed. Whichever the budget - save your photos, contacts and notes in some handy database like evernote so you can always re-visit if a later shoot calls for it.

[owenling]

Always be prepared for everything a client will want to know, create a spreadsheet on your phone or laptop and make sure you make notes on everything like the nearest toilets, parking access, network connections and when you take photos be sure to note which direction they are facing!

[DylanKJohnson]

Location Scouting Tip #1: Determine if the area you are scouting is private or public property. In most circumstances you can call the local city and find this out fairly easily.This is huge when it comes to permits and regulations. If it is public property, you will be subject to permits/regulations of the township/city. If it is private, and you get permission from the owner, GET A WRITTEN CONTRACT from the owner of that property. First, this will give the own some incentive not to renege on the deal, and it will also ensure that all of the terms of the shoot are locked down ahead of time.

Tip #2: Ensure the location has the proper amenities for your shoot. If you are going to be requiring power, make sure that the locations power can support your needs. You don't want to be on site only to discover that you are drawing more than the breakers can handle. Also, if you are going to be shooting for an extended period of time, ensure you have bathrooms, water, and other such resources available. If not, you will most likely have to bring those in during your shoot (and you will need to make sure that this is allowed at that location).

Tip #3: Acoustics/Sound. If you already have an idea of what type of scene you will be filming at the location, it is good to check the acoustics while scouting. Some places can have a lot of background noise that is difficult or impossible to remove, so it is always good to ensure that you will be able to get the right sounds while shooting there.

Great video, extremely informative and helpful! Keep up the great work guys!