A location that looks perfect in a photo can be unusable on the day of the shoot. The angles are wrong, the noise is unmanageable, the light changes in the afternoon, the owner has new restrictions - and you find all of this out after you've committed to the schedule. Location scouting is how you find these problems before they cost you shooting days.
Scouting isn't just "going to look at a place." It's a systematic evaluation of a location's viability as a production environment. Here's how to do it properly.
Before You Go
Do two things before you visit any location in person.
Define what the scene needs. Not just "an office" or "a kitchen" - what does this specific scene need from the space? Does the blocking require two actors to be able to move past each other without the camera catching a wall? Does the character need to be visible from outside through a window? Does the scene end with someone leaving via a door that we see from inside? These spatial requirements rule out a large percentage of locations that would otherwise seem appropriate. Write them down before you go.
Check the basics remotely. Satellite view, street view, local noise ordinances, permit requirements, and ownership information are all available before you set foot in the location. A location on a busy transit route is going to have persistent ambient noise. A location that requires a city permit may need three to six weeks of lead time. A location that belongs to a business rather than a private individual will have specific insurance requirements. Know these before you spend time on the visit.
What to Evaluate On Location
Natural light. Visit at the same time of day you plan to shoot. A room with beautiful morning light may be a dark box by afternoon. Note which direction windows face, what time direct sunlight enters, and whether the available light is workable or requires heavy supplementation. Bring a compass if you need to be precise.
Sound environment. Spend ten minutes listening. HVAC, traffic, nearby construction, airplanes on approach paths, neighboring businesses. Record a voice memo and play it back - it will reveal ambient noise that your ears filter out but a microphone will catch. A noisy location isn't necessarily unusable, but the noise budget, in time and cost, needs to be realistic.
Power access. Where are the breaker panels? How much amperage is available? Can the lighting department run from the building's power, or do they need a generator? Generator placement matters too - you need to be able to run cable to the set while keeping the generator far enough away that its sound doesn't contaminate the audio. Ask the location owner or building manager for an electrical diagram if possible.
Ceiling height. Low ceilings are one of the most common reasons a location that looks right doesn't work on camera. If you're shooting overhead shots or want to see the full height of a character standing, you need enough clearance for the camera and lighting. Standard ceiling height in many residential buildings is 2.4m - often not enough for a comfortable production environment. Note the actual height, not your impression of it.
Parking and access. Where does the crew park? How close can the grip truck get? Is there a loading area or do you have to carry equipment up stairs? A location that requires a significant amount of hand-carrying will slow every setup and cost time. This is especially relevant for multi-floor shoots.
Permits and restrictions. Some locations prohibit exterior shooting, restrict the hours during which production noise is permitted, or require specific insurance coverage. Ask these questions directly and get the answers in writing. "We'll figure it out when we get there" on permits is a significant risk.
What to Photograph
Every scouting visit should produce a complete photographic record. Shoot:
- All four corners of every room you might use
- The view from every window
- All doors and their sight lines from the camera positions you're considering
- The exterior of the building from every approach direction
- Parking, loading, and crew staging areas
- Electrical panels with a shot of the breaker labels
- Anything that concerns you - a potential noise source, an awkward structural element, a ceiling detail
Label the photos with location name, date, and time of day before you file them. Scouting photographs taken in the morning will look completely different from the same location photographed in the afternoon, and you need to know which is which when you're making the final decision.
The Decision Framework
Once you've scouted, evaluate the location against three criteria:
Creative fit: Does it look right for the scene? Does the space have the geometry the blocking requires? Does it feel like the world of the story?
Production viability: Can you physically work here? Power, sound, parking, access - can these problems be solved within budget?
Practical cost: What does it cost to make this location work? Not just the location fee, but the additional equipment, crew time, and logistics required. A "free" location that requires a generator, noise blankets, and three extra grip hours is not actually free.
A location that scores well on all three is a strong choice. A location that scores well on two and poorly on one requires a decision about whether the deficit can be mitigated. A location that scores poorly on more than one - especially if creative fit is one of the deficits - should be passed on regardless of cost or convenience.
Managing Multiple Options
For scenes that take place in significant locations, scout at least two options before committing to either. Having a backup location serves two purposes: it gives you negotiating leverage with the primary location, and it protects your schedule if the primary falls through.
In plotwell's location management view, you can attach scouting notes and images directly to each location entry. When you're making a final decision between two options, having all of the relevant information - photos, notes, distances from base camp, permit status - in one place makes the comparison faster and more reliable.
The Most Common Scouting Mistakes
Going alone. Bring your director of photography and, if relevant, your production designer. They will see things you miss. The DP will immediately assess the lighting challenges. The PD will immediately see the set dressing constraints. The director's vision of a location and the crew's practical assessment of it need to be in dialogue before you commit.
Only going once. A location looks different at different times of day, different times of week, and in different weather. If a scene is scheduled for a Monday morning and you scouted on a Sunday afternoon, you may not know about the construction on the next block that only happens on weekdays.
Committing without the paperwork. A verbal agreement with a location owner is not a location agreement. Get a signed location agreement, with dates, permitted hours, specific areas of the property you have access to, and any restrictions, before you put the location in the schedule.
The time spent on thorough scouting is time not spent solving problems on shoot days. Every problem you find in the scout is a problem that cost you an afternoon rather than a shooting day.
