Lights illuminate the set, cameras start rolling, and action! Filmmaking is a magical journey that takes us to places far beyond our imagination. 

Behind every captivating film or TV show lies a crucial element that sets the stage for storytelling: the filming location. 

From the bustling streets of New York City to the serene landscapes of the countryside, each location plays a pivotal role in creating a captivating visual experience for the audience.

Pre-Production: Location Basics

It’s true for real estate, and it’s true for filmmaking. 

1. The locations where you shoot your movie are a big part of your film’s overall look and feel. 
2. And finding suitable locations takes time and effort. 

In the pre-production of a film, it is vital to start on these two steps as early as possible – casting the lead actors and finding the right locations. Especially when you’re making a low-budget film and can’t throw money at these things. 

When making a film for $100M, you can typically hire the actors you want and pay for expensive locations or build elaborate sets. When making a feature film for $100K, you must get creative.

So how do you find the right locations for your movie, ones that are cinematic and will fit your story and your budget?  

1. Story

The first thing to consider when looking for the right location is how it connects to the story being told in the movie. Storytelling is at the heart of filmmaking, meaning that almost every decision you make has to be connected to the story you’re trying to tell. So when looking for the right location, you need to know how it relates to your story.

For example, a few years ago, a film titled Trattoria was being produced, and its storyline primarily unfolded within a delightful Italian restaurant. The team of producers, including myself, understood the significance of selecting an appropriate restaurant for the filming process. 

It was crucial for conveying the intended narrative. Moreover, if a viewer purchased or rented a film titled Trattoria and discovered that it was shot in a fast food establishment within a strip mall, they would likely experience frustration, regardless of the film’s other exceptional qualities.

2. Character

The 2nd thing I consider when looking for the right location is what it tells the audience about the character. So when I’m looking for an apartment or house, I want the location that I’m shooting at to be able to tell a story about the character whose apartment or house that is. 

Is it an expensive, beautifully decorated high-rise apartment or a cluttered, run-down shack? When the audience sees that location on the screen, I want them to know something about the character.

A great example of this is the apartment that Steve Carrell’s character has in the 40 Year Old Virgin. The place is clean, well-organized, and filled with toys, many of them in their original packaging. It’s a big kid’s apartment, not a grown man’s. And just like those action figures in their original packaging, Steve Carrell’s character has kept himself emotionally wrapped and sealed from the world.

Production design and set decorating can also add to how much a location tells the audience about each character, so keep that in mind. How much can you change or modify the location you’re shooting at, and what is your budget for set decorating are questions that need to be addressed.

3. Lighting & Power

Finding free filming locations is desirable, but practical considerations are crucial during location scouting. Lighting and power should be evaluated, taking into account the availability of natural light, shooting time (day or night), and electrical capacity. 

For example, I was producing a movie, and one of the main locations was a run-down house in San Francisco. The location was a perfect fit for the story we were trying to tell, but it really was an old, run-down house with 75-year-old wiring, and we knew that if we plugged in a lot of lights, we’d probably start a big electrical fire. 

It was also in a quiet neighborhood, so bringing in a noisy generator to power the lights was not an option, and renting an expensive silent generator for $500/day was outside our budget. So we had to get creative, and luckily, a couple of doors down, we found a fellow filmmaker who had just renovated his house and was willing to let us pull from his place. So we ran some electrical cables from his house down to our location.

The next few things on my list of practical things to consider are noise, accessibility, and bathrooms. When looking at a location, think about how noisy it will be. 

Is it by a highway or construction site? Do the neighbors have band practice on the weekends? How accessible is the location? 

Are you shooting in a suburban ranch house where it’s easy to access every room, or on a secluded beach where you have to hike 10 minutes through the woods and then walk down a narrow path to get to the beach while schlepping your gear? And what about a bathroom? 

The beach may be gorgeous, but if you’re planning to shoot all day and there isn’t a bathroom nearby, or you can’t bring in a portable one, then your cast and crew members will have a miserable time.

4. Cost

Locations can cost a lot of money. When you ask if you can shoot a film at someone’s business or home, they often assume you have a lot of money because you’re making a movie. That’s true for a Hollywood film, but not for an independent, low-budget film.

There are a few ways to overcome this problem. 

1. The first way is to give yourself plenty of time to find suitable locations for your movie. By having the time to knock on many doors, you’ll eventually find the right location that fits your budget.
2. The next way is to reach out to your friend and family network and see if they can access a good location. Maybe your uncle has a vacation home that would be perfect for your horror movie, or perhaps ask the manager at the restaurant you’ve been eating at for years if you could film there on one of the days they’re closed. Offer to give them a credit in the movie, or if it’s a business, maybe promise free advertising by including a shot of the front of their building in your film. 
3. And the last tip to get a location for free is to reverse engineer it. While writing your script, think about all the fantastic locations you can access, and then write them into your story. 

Get Started 

Now that you know the importance of finding the right locations, you can start location scouting for your film. If you are serious about a career in the film industry, San Francisco Film School offers multiple degrees and certificate programs to get you started!