Scouting locations for shooting is a major preproduction activity. Even in your first meeting, an experienced location scout will have ideas not only about where some of your scenes could be shot, but also about how much a location will cost, how easy going to and from the location will be, what production facilities are available once you get there, and how difficult it will be to get permission and a shooting permit.

A location scout differs from a location manager in that a scout goes out and finds the locations in advance of shooting. If your budget is restrictive, these two jobs obviously can be held by the same person. After you have discussed your shooting needs, the location manager will come back with photos of possible locations. There should be a mixture of “artistic” shots that show the location at its best, and more commonplace pictures that indicate logistical issues such as roads, plumbing, available light, parking, and room for support areas such as dressing rooms, makeup, equipment staging, and so on. Many cities have governmental departments or filming commissions to help in making arrangements for locations.

Are You in the Right Place?

Movie mogul Jack Warner has often been credited with saying, “There is no movie that can't be shot at Griffith Park.” Griffith Park, located in Los Angeles, is the largest municipal park in the United States and is home to the famous Hollywood sign. Considering Warner's success with using that Hollywood acreage in such diverse films as Rebel Without a Cause and The Adventures of Robin Hood, it's difficult to disagree. But modern audiences know there are no eucalyptus trees in medieval England, and the Los Angeles Parks Department is well aware of the monetary value of their most famous filming spot, so you may have several good reasons to look elsewhere.

Besides the photographic vistas offered by any specific location, there are several other things to be considered. Not the least of these is the cost, since very few property owners are willing to let a small army descend on their land for free. There is also the issue of distance. According to the rules set down by the film industry unions, if a location is less than thirty miles from the home base of a production it's considered a close location. Anything outside the thirty-mile limit is a distant location.

Does It Pay to Stay Domestic?

Much has been made recently about films shooting outside their home countries for reasons other than appropriateness of location. No one can really disagree with the decision to shoot French Kiss in Paris or Sahara in a distant desert region. But why shoot Middle Earth in New Zealand? How does Toronto, Canada, end up doubling as New York or Chicago? Why go all the way to Romania to shoot a big-budget horror film?

As you might expect, the answer is usually one of finance. Countries such as New Zealand and Canada would like to create a film industry as part of their economy. To do this, they offer extremely low rates and often even tax incentives to production companies that shoot there. The costs of traveling and lodging, among other things, are offset by the lower price.

There have also been situations where “the money” was in another country to begin with. Sometimes the investors were there and wished to have the film made there for reasons of commerce or tourism. There have even been situations where the corporation that owns the studio finds it has funds “locked up” in another country through investments. These investments can only be liquidated or spent in that country, so the decision is made to film within those borders. Some A-list actors or directors insist their films be made in their homelands, purely as a convenience to them. If you want that talent, your film has to shoot on their turf.