A successful shoot begins with selecting the right location. In fact, one of the most important steps in producing a high-quality video is scouting. Most of the time we forget to check if the places we want to include in our video are actually really suitable for filming. But bear in mind that this process is as important as making sure your equipment functions. Here are TEN essential tips that will help you when shooting out on location.

1. TIPSINSEARCHING
SHOOTINGLOCATION10

2. Oneofthemostimportantstepsinproducingahigh-qualityvideoisSCOUTINGLOCATIONS.Theseareplacesthatyouwilluseinmakingyourstory
closetoreality.
Mostofthetimesweforgettocheckiftheplaceswewanttoincludeinourfilmaresuitableenoughforshooting.Bearinmindthatthisprocessis
asimportantasmakingsurethatyourshootingequipmentareworking.Asyouhaveknownthestepsincleaningyourcameralenses,keepingyour
gadgetssafeandthecriteriainchoosingyouractors,itisveryessentialthatyoushouldalsoknowtheseTENTIPStoconsiderinchoosinglocations.
Asuccessfulshootbeginsin
selectingtherightlocation

3. Itisimportanttogetfamiliarwithyourstoryplotsoyoucanchoosethebestsettingthatwillmatcheveryscene.Thiswillserveyouasa
guideinselectingthebestlocation.Alwaysgetbacktothemainreasonwhyyouaresearchingforalocation:Ihaveastorytotellmy
viewers.So,youdon’twantthemconfusedbecauseofanotsuitablelocation.Manylocationswillbeavailableforyoutochoosefrombut
therewillbeveryfewthatwillbestfityourstory.Storyfirstbeforegoingoutandscout.
1.MASTERYOURSTORY

4. 2.TAKEDOWNNOTESGetyourpenandnoteready-handy.Youwillneedthemasyourbestfriendsinscoutinglocation.Nomatterhowsharpyourmemoryis,youhaveto
takedownallyourobservationasyougotoeverylocationthatyouwanttocheck.Youwillcomeacrossmanysettingswhenyouwalk,drive,travel
withfamilyandfriendsorjustevenbyobserving.Placeswillhavesimilarities,differences,advantagesanddisadvantagessoyouhavetowriteall
importantpoints.
Alongwithyournotes,takingphotosorshootingvideoclipwithaudioobservationwillhelpalotasactualrepresentationofthearea.Alongwithyournotes,takingphotosorshootingvideoclipwithaudioobservationwillhelpalotasactualrepresentationofthearea.Afteralong
journeyoftravel,useyournotes,gatheredinformation,photosandvideostocompareandcontractslocations.

5. 3.FORECASTWEATHERCONDITIONNaturalenvironmentalfactorssuchasrain,snow,sun,windand
temperatureareverycrucialinselectinglocation.Thesemay
improveordestroyyouroutputdependingonyourstoryline.
DonotforgetthatyourshootingfacilitiesarealsosensitivetoDonotforgetthatyourshootingfacilitiesarealsosensitiveto
thesefactors.Forinstance,exposingvideocamerastorain,
beachwind,orevenmoisturefromwaterfountainsorwaterfall
maycausedamagesnotonlytotheequipmentbutalsotoyour
output.Toomuchbrightnessandhottemperaturecauseby
sunlightcanalsodamageyourequipmentifleftexposedfor
toolong.
Moreover,coldweatherorlowtemperaturecandrain
batteriesquickly.Thisistruetoalltypeofbatteriesbut
someperformbetterthanothers.Soifyoureallyneedto
takesomescenesinverycoldtemperatureconsiderusing
externalbatterypackaswell.Thiswillgiveyouachance
towarmyourbatteriesunderyourjacket.
MakesuretobepreparedforthesefactorstoavoidMakesuretobepreparedforthesefactorstoavoid
seriousdamagestoyourequipmentandtosecuresmooth
flowduringshooting.

6. Useyourcamcorder’smicrophonetochecksoundssurroundingalocation.Silencecancontributealotinachievinggreataudioresultsinyour
film.Alsotestwirelessmicrophones,boommikes,andanyotheraudiorecordingdevicesatthesitesoyoucanlistencloselytoany
interference.Alwaysrememberthathigh-qualitysoundisveryimportantinmakingavideo.
Considernoisecausedbytheenvironmentincludingtraffic,runningwater,echoes,andevenmovementsthatyourmicrophonemaycatch.Going
backtoyourstory,choosethelocationthatbestfitthesceneandthesoundthatyouneed.
4.PAYATTENTIONTOAUDIOIMPACT

7. INDOOR.Therearesettingsthatprovidelowerorhigheramountof
naturallightwithoutthehelpofelectricity.Lookingbackintoyourstory,
itisimportanttofigureoutthelightingcapacityofeverylocation.
Indoorlocationssuchasrooms,homes,functionhalls,auditoriums,
churchesandtemples,haveloweramountoflights.
YYoucantrysampleshootstofigureoutwhat’sbestthingtodointhearea.
Ifyouneedmorelight,checkeverycornerofthelocation.Youcanopen
windowsandcurtainblindstoaddlight.Insomecases,youmayalsoadd
lightequipmentorconsiderreplacinglightbulbs.Justmakesureto
coordinatewithsomebodywhoisinchargeoftheplace.
OUTDOOR.Naturallightinanyopenairlocationsischallenging
becauseitchangesinanymomentatanytime.Checkwhetheryour
ideallocationisexposedtofullsunduringdaylight,orcoveredbya
treeorbuildingshadows.
RRememberthebasicsofcameraandequipmentprotection:Donot
exposetoolonginhightemperature.Brightsunlightisnotgoodto
people’seyes(actorsandstaff)andcanalsocauseautomatic
camcorderlensestounderexposeshotsbecausefullsunlightcan
surpasslightcoloredbackground.Smallamountofsunlightcanalsobe
trickysincealmostoftoday’scameraareproducingnotsogood
contrastinthisoutdoorcondition.Considerthosefullyshaded
locationbecauseitgenerallygivesbetterresult.locationbecauseitgenerallygivesbetterresult.
5.OBSERVELIGHTEFFECTS

8. Itisalwaysidealtobepreparedespeciallywithyour
powersupplies.Evenyouhavemultiplebatterypacks
reserved,theneedtochecknearestelectrical
connectionisessentialforasmoothshooting.There
areoutdoorandindoorlocationsthatlackpower
connectionsoyouhavetoconsideritsavailabilityin
scoutinglocations.
Youmightbeneedingpowersuppliesforyou
additionallightings,batterychargingandeven
cellphonecharging.Alocationthathasenoughpower
supplyisanadvantage.
6.SECUREPOWERSOURCE

9. Inscoutingforlocationyoualsohavetoconsideradequatespacesasidefromthe
placethatyouwilluseasabackgroundofyourfilm.Simplyput,dothisforyour
productionequipment.Indoorsmayhaveextraroomsforyourthings,dressingarea,
andplacewhereotherstaffworkingbehindthecameracanstay.Makesureoutdoor
locationshaveenoughspacetoo,whereyoucansetupyourshootinggears.Itis
importantthatyoucanmovefreelyintheseareasforcomfortableworking
environment.
7.CONSIDERSPACE

10. 8.CHECKNEARBYFACILITIESCheckingfacilitiesaroundthelocationisessentialtoensuresmoothflowofactivitiesduringshooting.Theseincludetheavailabilityof
telecommunicationsignalsforyourmobilephonesorpayphoneincaseofsignaloutage,foodchains/shopsjustincaseyouneedfood,banks/ATMif
youneedextracash,electronicstoresforelectricalsupplies,medicalclinics/hospitals,fire,andpolicestationsincaseofemergency.
Knowingthesefacilitieswillhelpyouprepareforanychallengesthatwillcomeacrossduringtheactualshooting.Problemsareunavoidable,but
preparationisjustwithinreach.Beready!

11. 9.DOUBLECHECK
PROSPECTLOCATIONWhenyouhavealreadyprospectedpossiblelocations,youneedtodouble
check.Visitagaintheplacesthatyouwanttoincludeinyourfilmtocheck
whethertheyarestillsuitableforyourstorymostespeciallyduringthe
timeoftheshooting.Rememberthatconditionsoflocationschange
inevitablydependingontheseason,timeofthedayandeventheday
itself.
CheckingagainthefactorsthatyoulikeaboutyourprospectedlocationsCheckingagainthefactorsthatyoulikeaboutyourprospectedlocations
willanswerthequestions:Aretheystillthesame?Ornotanymore?Will
theybefitforyourstory?Orno?Willyoustillusetheplaceinyourfilm?
Orwillyouremoveit?
Again,situationofacertainlocationdependsinsomanyfactors,so,
recheckingitsavailabilityandappropriatenessisreallyamust.

12. 10.OBEYLEGALITIESSomeoftheplacesthatyouwouldliketoknowmoreaboutwillrequireyoulegalityworkssotrypayingattentiontothis.Theymightrequireyou
blackandwhiteletteraskingpermissionsoyoucanfullycheckthearea,orsomemayrequireyoupermitsbeforeyoucangoinsideaprospect
location.Betterknowiftherearelegalrequirementsbecausethiswillgiveyoutheconfidenceoffullyevaluatingthearea.
Ontheotherhand,ifyouarenotrequiredofthosethings,itisalwaysbettertoaskpermissionverbally.Manyownerswillhelpyouifyouwilltell
yourintentionandwillevenassistyouuntilyouaredone.
Alongwiththis,alsoaskiftherearethingsyouneedtodoforlegalitysakepriortoshootingespeciallyifyouwillbeusingpublicsitessuchasAlongwiththis,alsoaskiftherearethingsyouneedtodoforlegalitysakepriortoshootingespeciallyifyouwillbeusingpublicsitessuchas
parks,highways,cemeteries,governmentofficesandprivateownedareassuchasgroceries,residentialhouses,andothers.
Thisisveryimportanttoavoidinterruptionbyauthoritiesbecauseyourshootingislegal.

13. CONTACTUSBenetoneFilms
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Bangkok10330
Thailand
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Fax:+66(0)22539419
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SantaMonica,CA90404
USA
Phone:+1(310)3821363
wwwww.benetonefilms.com
contact@benetonefilms.com