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Film locations play a vital role in the making of any movie. They influence the look and atmosphere of the entire work. The locations also have a large impact on the film’s budget.
A film location agency can help you find the ideal location for your film. Let’s look at some of the reasons why you might want to hire a film location agency and how you can find the best one for your needs.
Location agencies handle the entire process of finding the best places to shoot. This is not always as simple as it may seem. There are all kinds of factors that influence the appropriateness of a particular location. There is the weather, the number of people around and, in some cases, legal issues. For some scenes, having a crowd of people in the background could serve your purposes. For other shots, however, this would be distracting and your goal is to find a quiet spot. If you want an idyllic nature scene, you have to find the place that has the perfect lighting at the time of day when you’ll be shooting.
There may also be legalities to sort out before you can shoot at a certain location. If you want to film on private property, for example, you will have to get the owner’s consent. Filming at certain public locations may involve filling out paperwork and getting the essential permits. When you’re making a film, you will already have many details to be dealing with. It’s very helpful if a location agency can do the research and handle the details when it comes to finding the best locations. For a film with a small budget, a location agency may seem like an extra expense. However, without this service you may run into all kinds of obstacles when it comes to shooting the film. This can result in delays that end up costing you more than the fees charged by the location agency.
Once you decide that you want to use a location agency for your film, how do you decide on the best one? Here are some things to consider:
Experience – How long as the agency been in business? What kind of industry experience do the people running it have?
Areas Covered – Does the agency operate in the place or places where you plan to shoot? Are they knowledgeable about locations where you want to film? Some agencies specialise in certain areas while others cover a wider range.
Industry Connections – Does the agency have existing relationships with film producers, photographers, property owners and others who can help them find the best locations quickly?
Cost – You have to find an agency that can work within your budget. You should ask whether they charge by the hour, day or week. You will, of course, also be responsible for covering any extra fees such as permits.
If you want your film to proceed on schedule, it’s best to have the locations planned out as far in advance as possible. That’s why it’s a good idea to consult with a location agency long before you plan to begin shooting. Ideally, you want to be able to simply show up at each location and shoot each scene as planned. In practice, there may be setbacks, such as bad weather or unforeseeable problems with the location. Nevertheless, a good location agency can minimize such difficulties and allow you to focus on actually making your movie. It also frees you up to focus on other creative matters pertaining to the film.
Locations play an important role in every film. Even when the audience isn’t aware of it, the location helps to set the tone of the scene. You need just the right lighting and the right type of ambiance or the scene will not have the intended affect on viewers. An experienced location agency can either help you secure the locations you have in mind for your film or suggest ones. They will have a database of locations for different purposes based on their experience. If you are handling this yourself, you are starting from scratch and may have to spend hours or days getting everything set up. That’s why finding the right film location agency is so important for making your film more professional.