Jake & Will: CONTEST WARRIORS

Location scouting is a vital process in the pre-production stage of filmmaking. Once the script is done and the director has OK’d what general kind of scenery they want for the parts of their work, a search is begun for a suitable "location" outside the studio. A location scout then drives to a location, takes a ton of pictures, and creates extensive notes about lighting, noise, surrounding areas, amount of people, public or private property, ease of getting to and from the location, and any other details that will help the director decide if it is suitable for the movie.

There are a few great resources to be found in almost every search for the perfect location. One is the local film commission, more times than not a county or city will have a film commission which can be used as a major resource in finding the perfect place. The local film commission will likely have an online database of pictures that you can sift through. This service is free because they want to boost their tourism profits for the year by having a film come shoot in their town.

Another great resource is the local people, if you know anyone from the area you want to shoot in then make that phone call. I have employed this technique and called people I haven't talked to since I was a little kid, but when I explained who I was and what I was doing they opened up and told me anything and everything I wanted to know. Use that network.

Here is a list of things you will need to go location scouting:
-Notebook
-Pen or pencil
-Digital camera
-Well tuned car with a full tank of gas
-Map or atlas
-Water
-The ability to get lost
-A vague idea about where you, or the director, want to shoot

Optional:
-A GPS

Happy hunting!