How is your property chosen as a film location?
A property is chosen as a possible filming location in the following order:
The location scout contacts us.
Film Location Scouts visit our office or go to our website to view properties available. Each property has a Property ID designated to it. This ensures privacy until owner you the owner have said ‘yes’ to being involved in a specific project. All our property owners reserve the right to accept or turn down a project. So, after the Location Scouts have made their initial selection, we will then contact you, the property owner, to discuss the job. Yours may be one of several homes, even though only one may be needed. This is because even after the preferred property has been chosen, this choice still needs approval by other decision making film staff.
You receive a call from us.
We will provide information about the film shoot, such as the dates and the hours of filming, the location fee being offered, the parts of the house they wish to use, the number of people involved and any other important details.
Projects vary - some that may use your living room exactly as it is and will complete the filming in single day; others may want change wall colors or add furnishings and will be in and out of your home over several days. These differences depend on the needs of each shoot.
The location scout wants to visit your home
Once you’ve said ‘yes’, we will contact you and ask if the location scout can come to see the house for himself. This is called “scouting’. It may take 5 minutes, or it may take 40. We try to fit in a time that works for you as well as the location scout. The location scout is often times accompanied by the director of the filming shoot who then begins the process of planning where he will film or evaluating if your property has the “right look” for the script.
They want to make you an offer
Once your home is selected for filming, the production company will make you an offer. Please keep in mind that not every budget is the same. Again, you are free to consider each offer. We encourage property owners to think ahead about what they feel would be a suitable amount of money to make it worthwhile having a film crew on the property. Hence, the higher the location fee, the fewer productions that will have the budgets big enough to pay those fees. If in doubt, we are happy to advise you on what we think would be an appropriate figure for your home.