4 Tips for Scouting Locations and Finding the Perfect Place for Your Shots

Location scouting is an important part of the preproduction stage of filmmaking, photo shooting, and video making. Choosing a location that suits your tastes and fits with your storytelling is crucial to add to your project a proper visual background, a physical place that will give your content substance and reality.

Scouting location means looking for the most suitable places for your creative needs and involves several factors. Aesthetics plays its part, as well as expectation, but there are other factors that you should consider too. 

Have a look at this article and discover all our tips to find the best location for your creative project.

Table of Contents

• What Should You Consider During Your Scouting?

• Set Your Budget

• Think About Logistics

• Obtain the Required Permission

• Pay Attention to the Location’s Surroundings 

• Leave Nothing to Chance

What Should You Consider During Your Scouting?

There are 4 factors to be taken into account while scouting locations:

1. Budget

2. Logistics 

3. Permission

4. The location surroundings

Set Your Budget

As mentioned above, location scouting involves several aspects. First of all, you should define your budget. Research activities often require money and time. Accordingly, you and your team should decide whether to rely on internal resources or turn to a location agency. 

If you choose to scout the perfect location for your video or photos alone, you will probably spend more time traveling and talking with people. But, you will get more opportunities to find unique locations and save money. 

Choosing a location could also affect your budget. Not all the rental places are cost-free, especially indoor ones, so you may have to pay a fee for them.

Think About Logistics

In the process of scouting a location, you should consider logistics. You and your staff might need an internet connection or electrical sources for your equipment. The perfect location for shooting should grant easy access and services, such as parking and bathrooms. 

The distance from a place also matters. It could involve both budget and logistics, especially regarding the transportation of all the equipment and work team.

Obtain the Required Permission

If you find a place well located that fits your needs, don’t forget to check whether you have all the permits required to shoot in there. without the necessary authorization, you and your crew could be kicked out of the place.

Sometimes the place might not be private but it could be state property. Try to contact the owners of the location you want to rent and obtain all the information and permission from them in advance. This includes a signed release form.

Pay Attention to the Location’s Surroundings 

Considering the location’s surroundings is fundamental. It means paying attention to the environment around the place you chose for shooting. If you are looking for a place to shoot a movie or a video you will probably need a quiet place far from the road since the background noise would ruin the result of your work.

Lighting is also a key element to consider. When choosing the right location for you, think about the type of light you would have in an indoor place or the lighting outdoors.  

Leave Nothing to Chance

Keeping your goal in mind while searching for the best location for your shooting is fundamental. However, sometimes it’s easy to forget some critical elements when scouting, such as obtaining proper permission or minding the environment around. For this reason, try to develop your idea, without forgetting these simple tips. You won’t regret it.

We at Beazy don’t like to leave things to chance, so through our search page, you will be able to filter the locations by category, type, and price. Our customers are all reliable people, and you will have the possibility of using the chat to talk directly to them. Beazy will offer you support throughout the whole rental process.

So what are you waiting for? Find the perfect location for you and start shooting!