
Think about both the interior and exterior locations you need and shortlist those that are practical to shoot in. You will need room for the film crew and space for the equipment you are planning to use, so it's no good shooting in a location that makes shooting impossible. So, think carefully before choosing a location and ask yourself: Is it safe to shoot here? Risk assess everything by watching weather reports, speaking to local governments, and learning more about the areas you are considering.Īccessibility is key when it comes to the locations you choose. Thankfully, no actors and members of the crew were injured as far as we know, but several Czech residents were killed. And flooding laid waste to many of the sets of The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen when filming in Prague. Injuries occurred on the set of Waterworld, for example, when the crew were caught up in a squall while filming in Hawaii. Many movies have been affected by adverse weather and various freaks of nature, and while these can be difficult to predict, it is still worth committing to research. Make sure the location you intend to shoot in is safe for your crew, and be sure to get permission before shooting there. Sadly, camera assistant Sarah Jones lost her life because of mistakes made.įor you, the message is clear. The fact that he didn't get permission to shoot there also added to the dangers of shooting in this location. If director Randall Miller had committed to more research, he would have known not to shoot on the railroad trestle bridge above the Altamaha River in Wayne County, Georgia. We need only consider the tragedy that took place during the shooting of Midnight Rider to understand why. You will save time and money this way as you won't need to travel long distances to reach new areas.ĭon't choose a location last minute as you will have little idea of the safety precautions needed. Instead of travelling around the country for individual scenes, it is a good idea to find a town or city that has most of the locations you need in relatively close proximity. The other thing to keep in mind is the number of locations you need in your story.

But if you are looking for somewhere that suits the purposes of your story, this might be something you take into consideration. Of course, you can use rain machines and other pieces of tech to create the weather scenes you want, so you don't necessarily need to sweat over this aspect of location scouting. If you want to capture wind-swept and rainy scenes that are set during the autumn or winter, you probably shouldn't choose a location that is predominantly sunny throughout the year. The same applies to any location that is overly sunny. The UK can be particularly problematic in this regard. If you're after summer scenes that require a lot of sunshine, you obviously don't want to visit a country that could be beset by rainfall. This is a no-brainer of course, but there are certain things to keep in mind.įirstly, consider the time of year that your story is set in.

The script will determine the locations you choose for your shoot. Here are our essential tips for location scouting. Especially if you're new to filmmaking, the following should be useful to you. But to avoid any location mishaps, consider our tips below.
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So, should you be making a movie, be that a would-be Hollywood blockbuster, a small independent production, or a music video or TV ad, never undermine the importance of location within your project. Dances With Wolves, Apocalypse Now, and Deliverance are just three classic movies that benefited from shooting in real locations. We are talking about the way real locations can do a better job of drawing audiences into the movie. We aren't only talking about shooting a movie in a particular country because you want to use popular landmarks as backdrops to your scenes. Of course, there are reasons why it is important to still use location shooting and that is because of authenticity. After all, why travel to far-flung locations when you can simply create the backdrops you need using CGI and green screen? In some regards, this has made it easier for filmmakers to create the movies they want, without the need to transport actors, film crews, and equipment across the country or over borders. Location scouting isn't always a priority in today's movie world and that is because technology has moved on in leaps and bounds.
