Location Scouting

Recently, we've been scouting a few locations around New York, not only for current shoots, but also to create a database for future productions. Why? This really got me thinking about the importantance of shooting locations, and just how many aspects are often left forgotten.

Location Sound

Probably the most important element to check off the list! Seriously, think about it: Lack of power can be solved by a $70-$100 generator rental. Fixing bad lighting... well, that's my specialty. Set design can be pricey but reasonable. Re-doing bad location sound requires hours, even days of extra work with a post-production sound engineer. This could cost thousands of dollars extra depending on how much work is involved! What I'm getting at is, I think sound should be considered the first reason for our extensive search. This makes music videos seem like a picnic! But this isn't the only game stopper...

Versatility

With any great thing, there are typically limits. There are many laws, rules, regulations, and political matters that can limit what you're legally allowed to do at specific locations. When scouting, it's important to address these issues by asking, "what types of things CAN'T we shoot here?" By knowing our boundaries and which places have fewer limits, we can ease the pre-production process of our future projects.

Reliability

Here's a situation very closely based on a true story-- A client has a friend whose pizza shop would be the PERFECT location for his video. What's even better is that his friend is offering it, free of charge! We agree to use the pizza shop and gather the contact information, all seems to be going well. Then, on the day of the shoot we find ourselves sitting outside on the curb with our lighting gear and camera crew. Our location owner is nowhere to be found! He's not answering calls or emails. It turns out, he decided to take the day off because he forgot it was his niece's birthday. It's also the day his friend, our client, had to cancel his video shoot. Reliability of the location owner, contact, and staff are very important to ensure a smooth production.

So, anyone have some favorite locations to share?