What makes a great film location? You do!

In the fifth of our series on what makes a great film location we look at the importance of the property owner and the role that you play in getting work for your location. It would be certainly true to say that a flexible and accommodating location owner will get more repeat work than a difficult obstructive owner. At Lavish Locations we have learned that there are three great attributes that our most "film friendly" location owners share:

1. Being available. Location managers and film production companies work to tight deadlines. You might think that they spend years preparing for each production but we frequently get requests for locations for the following week or two - especially if a previously agreed location has fallen through. If we show a location professional your location and it fits the brief they will often want to view it on the same day. If we can't get hold of you then the opportunity may be lost. So please make sure we have all your contact details and your mobile phone is turned on!

2. Being reasonable. If all locations could be chosen from web pictures alone then all our lives would be easier. But the truth is that if your location is chosen for any type of film work there will be a whole series of visits from the director, the designers and the crew to make sure they get the shots they want.  If you want to be considered for film work you must realise that this is all part of the package - make the crew feel welcome and they will want to work with you again and again.

3. Being flexible. However well planned the film day is, inevitably some things will change on the day. While we're not recommending that you agree to unreasonable demands, it is much easier if small changes to proceedings can be worked out on the day.  Whether it be moving your car, allowing the crew in earlier to set up or even making more rooms in the house available at the last minute, the less of a headache you make it, the more you will be remembered for next time. 

Competition for film work is getting more intense as increasing numbers of property owners register their locations hoping to make some extra money to beat the credit crunch. With lots of great locations to choose from, a location with a film friendly reputation will always win out over a more difficult location. The key to success is you!

Popular location styles: shabby chic

At Lavish Locations we have a number of locations on our books which are used almost daily for stills photographic shoots. Often owned by photographers themselves, or the stylists who work for lifestyle magazines and photographic agencies, they are beautiful homes with lots of shootable rooms and spaces. The look which is ever-popular is shabby chic, by which we mean lots of white walls and painted floorboards, painted furniture and beautiful soft furnishings. Colour is kept to a minimum to allow the stylist to insert their own touches and make the space their own.

Feminine in style, this type of photo shoot location is constantly in demand from women's magazines, advertisers, catalogues and homes and gardens journals as they represent an aspirational yet comfortable style of living.

Click here to see another great example of a shabby chic location.

What makes a great film location? Your neighbours!

In the fourth of our series on what makes a great film location we look at an often overlooked but nonetheless essential ingredient that successful film locations share: great neighbours.  For filming often the best sort of neighbours are no neighbours at all  - or at least neighbours who are out of sight and earshot. But of course most locations don't have the luxury of total privacy so in most cases you will have to consider whether those around you will help or hinder your plans to use your property as a film location.

At Lavish Locations barely a week goes by when we don't have to contend with the issue of neighbours. So why do they matter so much? Firstly, because filming in your location will often have a significant impact on those around you and while you will be well rewarded for the inconvenience and disruption, your neighbours will often suffer the downside without any of the financial gain. This is especially true of filming in apartments with shared access. In fact many residents (through a residents' association) will restrict filming in their block to once a month or less to minimize the disruption to neighbours. Even if you don't have shared access, there are lots of neighbours who don't welcome catering trucks and all the paraphernalia that comes with filming parked in their road, or even in your drive. 

Even if your neighbours are relaxed about filming taking place at your location there are also times when you will want to call on their goodwill even more. For example, it may be that to get the right shot in your back garden the lights need to be rigged in theirs,  they may be asked to have vehicles parked in their drive and also to put up with the noise of filming that goes on late into the night. 

So what are the best ways to make sure that your neighbours are on-side and won't scupper your plans to use your property as a film location?  We have three pieces of advice for potential location owners: communication, consideration and compensation.  We would always advise you to talk to the location manager who is working for the film production to help you manage your neighbours. They have significant experience in managing all aspect of filming on location and can help you through leaflet dropping, explaining what will be involved and how it will affect them, and even finding a few hundred pounds extra in the budget to smooth the path to successful filming at your location. 

Most of the pitfalls of filming including awkward neighbours can be avoided if you are for-warned.  Keep reading our blog and learn more about how to make your property into a successful location for filming. 

What makes a great film location? Period Perfect.

In the 3rd part of our series of what makes a great film location, we look at a fast diminishing attribute - an untouched interior. Most of us when we buy a house to live in want to modernise it; whether by knocking down walls, putting in central heating, replacing old floors or investing in the latest Italian kitchen. This is natural - unless you are using your property as a means of making a living through being a filming and photo-shoot location then your first priority is going to be making a modern and comfortable home. 

However, the trend to modernise means that there is a big shortage of really authentic period interiors. This is a shame as there is always demand for locations which are "period perfect".  Just think about the number of period dramas and films which you see on TV or in the cinema - all of them will have been filmed on location in houses where original interiors have been preserved. 

The interest for period perfect properties is also extending from Georgian and Victorian (and earlier) to more recent decades like the 30's 60's 70's and 80's.  In fact at Lavish Locations barely a week goes by when we are not scouring our database for a house with a retro feel (complete with avacado bathroom suite) or a typical 1980's apartment.

So before you get rid of all your period features why not consider turning them to your advantage by creating a location which is true to the period the house was built? Add in some classic furniture and you could be on to a real money spinner as far as location work is concerned. 

Click here to see some great examples of sought after "period perfect" locations. 

What makes a great film location? Size matters!

Lavish Locations is constantly on the look-out for great new locations for film, TV and photo-shoots, but when location owners send us in their pictures, what are the attributes we look for which tell us whether it will be a successful location for filming? 

In last week's blog we looked at the first aspect of a successful film location - its location. In this week's blog we look at a second and vital aspect that which will spell the difference between lots of work or virtually none: the size of the location - in particular its key rooms.

You've probably seen footage of filming on TV or even witnessed a film being made on location. If you have you will have noticed how the action is often just taking place in a small corner of the room, but that the rest of the room is made up of cameras, lighting, crew members (who can number well over 30 for a typical film) and equipment, all of which can dwarf the actual scene being filmed. 

Now try to imagine all that in a typical 12 ft x 15 ft living room and you can see where the problems begin. Filming needs space, space to get the right perspective, the right shot, and the right movement, all of which is impossible if everybody is crammed into a small room. 

So the next rule of a great film location is really good sized rooms, whether they are kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms bedrooms or bathrooms, as far as filming is concerned the bigger the better. 

If you are considering registering your house with a location agency then take a realistic look at the size of your key rooms. If they are spacious and can accommodate a film crew then it will certainly be an advantage when it comes to being proposed for film and TV jobs. 

Look out for the next in our series of what makes a great film location and maximise your location's  chances of being selected for filming and TV.

What makes a great film location? Its location!

Every day Lavish Locations is called by hopeful property owners wanting to register their property with our location agency. Although we can never entirely predict which properties will be successful, there are some attributes that we look for which will almost certainly mean that your location will be considered for TV or a feature film, rather than immediately ruled out. In the first of our series: "What makes for a great film location?" we look at the first and one of the most important factors: its location!

It is a sad fact that many beautiful buildings are overlooked time and time again just because they are too far from London - or to be more precise, too far from the film studios west of London. The reason isn't anything other than money. If a location is too far from the production's base then the crew needs travel expenses and hotel rooms  - and for 50 people or more, that can prove too expensive for anything other than the highest budget movie. So where is the ideal location for film work? Just imagine that central London is the centre of a clock face and that the numbers are around the home counties just outside the M25. If the hands of the clock are saying 20 to 10 and you live between those hands then you are in perfect film location territory.  If you are in London, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire or Hertfordshire then you have a much better chance than most of getting picked as a film or TV location. 

You will see from the Lavish Locations website that although we specialise in locations in the South East of the UK, we do have plenty of locations across the country. We will always consider exceptional properties and if your location is offering something that cannot be had close to London then there is a good chance that we will accept it.

Over the next few weeks we will be telling you about the other all so important attributes we look for which tell us whether your location has star potential. Next time: "Size matters!"

 

Popular location styles - minimal

We are often asked what style of location we are looking for in our library and our answer is always the same: for filming anything goes and you just can't predict what the director will be looking for - it depends on the film. That is why the Lavish Locations library is full of all types of film location from stylish loft apartments to derelict buildings.

However, when we take the call from the location manager or producer there are certain styles of property that we are asked for over and over again.

The first style we are going to look at is "minimal" and the Lavish Locations library boasts a large number of beautiful architect designed minimal buildings. However, there is one building that stands out amongst all others and is exclusive to Lavish Locations: Skywood House. Skywood was designed by its architect owner Graham Phillips and is one of the most successful locations for filming and photo-shoots in the UK. Constantly in demand from producers and photographers who are seeking the ultimate photogenic building, Skywood has starred in numerous films, TV dramas, commercials and photo-shoots.

Click here to see more Skywood images on the Lavish Locations website and see why it retains its popularity year after year.

Choosing the right agency to represent your location

If you type "location agency" into the internet search engines you'll see a long list of results, so how do you choose an agency which is right for you? In our view there are 4 factors to consider when making your choice:

1. Size. Location agencies come in in all shapes and sizes - some have only a handful of locations on their books while others like Lavish Locations have thousands. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The smaller agencies tend to specialize in stylish properties for the photographic industry. If your house is very stylish and fits their look then you could do well in a smaller agency. However, if you also want to get film work then these are not the agencies for you as film industry professionals need a much larger and more diverse range of locations to meet their needs. The advantage of a locations agency like Lavish Locations is that our clients span the film and photographic industries and your location can be considered for both.

2. Clients. You need to make sure that the agency you choose has lots of clients so that there is the potential for lots of work. Most agencies publish their credits on their website - take a look and see whether it is a long list. If it isn't, you might have to question whether they are going to give your location the exposure you are after. 

3. Specialism. As well as specialising in film or photographic, there are lots of other ways that locations agencies differ. Some will specialise regionally- although Lavish Locations has locations all over the UK on our books, our real specialism is in the South East of England. If your location is in the West Country or Scotland, you may do better with a location agency that specialises in that area. They can also specialise by property type - Lavish Locations is particularly known for our residential locations, whereas others may be better known for offices or industrial buildings. Try to match your location agency to the type of location you are registering.

4. Website. Take a close look at the locations agencies' websites before making your choice as this is going to be the shop window for your location. How good is their search function? How easy is it to find a location in the right area with the right features? Remember, if you find this difficult their clients will likely find it difficult too. Lavish Locations completely redesigned our website last year after consulting with our clients so that we could build it around their needs. Our website is widely considered to have the best search function in the business.

Once you've done your research try to get some recommendations from others you know who are already using their property as a location. At Lavish Locations we find that most of the locations which register with us have done so on the recommendation of a film professional or location owner. To us, every referral or recommendation is the best compliment we could receive!

How is the credit crunch affecting the film and photographic industries?

The bad news is all around us, the consumer isn't spending, unemployment is rising and companies are drastically cutting their advertising budgets. The film and photographic industries can't escape this reality - even today we learned that ITV is cutting 600 jobs and a number of its programs, blaming the fall in advertising revenue as their primary motive.

But it isn't all bad news for Lavish Locations. We've seen two clear trends emerging over the last few months: first that volumes are not being affected as much as budgets and second, that we are seeing a large number of new and high quality locations coming on to our books.

Our clients, whether they be a film production companies, stills production companies or editorial magazines are still shooting on location. However, their budgets are much tighter than they have been, in some cases coming down by 10% or more. Fortunately our location owners are not holding out for unrealistic location fees and in almost all cases have been prepared to negotiate to meet our clients' budgets.

The second trend which has to be great for the industry is the number of new and original locations which have been registering with Lavish Locations. Lavish Locations has featured in numerous newspapers, magazines and websites in articles designed to help people increase their incomes through new and imaginative ways. What better way than to use your house as a film or photo-shoot location? Not only do you get a nice cheque for your trouble (even with reduced budgets you can still expect to clear a minimum of several hundred pounds upwards) you get the opportunity to get a real glimpse behind the scenes of a fascinating business.

So even with the recession in full force, there are still lots of reasons to be optimistic in the film and photographic business with our clients benefiting from lots of new and original locations being registered, and our locations, if they are prepared to work for reduced budgets, still benefiting from lots of work.

Keep reading our blog to learn how the changing business climate will affect the locations business.

What is the Role of the Location Agency in Representing Your Property?

You may be one of the lucky ones - one day you get a knock on the door and it is a location scout looking for a property just like yours for the latest Guy Ritchie movie. And while this can happen, it is very hit and miss and you could end up waiting hopefully by your front door for a very long time!

If you want your property to get seen by the decision makers in the film business, then you need to increase your chances and register your location with a film location agency. So what will a film location agency such as Lavish Locations do for you?

First and foremost we make sure your property gets seen. A good location agency like Lavish Locations will have a great website with a state-of-the art search function. Before you register with an agency take a look at their website and use its search function to see if you can find properties similar to your own. If you can't find them, it is unlikely that others will be able to either.

Second, we have experienced teams of location bookers whose job it is to match locations with what our clients are looking for.  Virtually every film being made in the UK will pick up the phone to Lavish Locations at some point or another. It is our job to interpret the brief and put forward a selection of suitable properties. If yours fits the brief then it will be one of them!

If the film production likes the look of your property then it is the location agency's job to arrange viewings (what we call recce's) so that the directors, producers and other crew members can decide how to make your location work for their production.

If this step is successful and your location is still in the running, then it is at this stage that the location agency can really come to your aid in helping to negotiate an appropriate fee. It may surprise you to learn that not all film productions have multi-million pound budgets, but also that  some of them are not as poverty stricken as they would have you believe! It is our job to get the best price we can for your location and we can do a better job of this than if you negotiated with the film production company directly.

So, they like your location and a budget is agreed. It is now our job to make sure that the dates the film production wants to use your location are reserved exclusively for them and that we explain fully what to expect on the day/s. 

One of the risks, although small, during filming is that something gets damaged in your home. Before any filming takes place we make sure that we have copies of the production's insurance so that should the worst happen you are fully covered.

We will then draw up a contract which has been especially written by specialist lawyers which is designed to protect all parties and to ensure that everybody delivers what has been agreed. 

And finally, the most important job of all - making sure that you are paid for the job! We generally insist that we are paid by the production company before filming begins. You then have the security of knowing that you will be paid for all all the disruption.  

When you see the hours of work and negotiations that can take place behind the scenes before any filming takes place you can understand that there are many traps and pitfalls that an inexperienced location owner could fall into. The real benefit of registering with a location agency such as Lavish Locations is that we take all this work off your shoulders. 

Find out soon why our clients use a location agency like Lavish Locations.  

Using your house as a photo-shoot location

When most people consider registering their property with a location agency they do so with filming on their minds. But there is another market for beautiful locations - that of stills photography. Just think about it, virtually every catalogue you open, every magazine you read and every advert you see, has used real life locations as the backdrop for their photographs. And the great thing about this market is that they need locations time and time again - every time they publish a new edition. So unlike filming, when your location might be used fairly infrequently, if you have a location with the right look, it can be used several times a month and in some cases several times a week. 

So what are the differences between using your house as a film location and using it as a photo-shoot location? 

The main difference is the level of disruption. Whereas a film day is 12 hours, a photo-shoot day is typically 9am until 6pm; whereas a film day can mean a crew size of up to 30 people or more, a photo-shoot day is often less than half that number; and whereas a film day can mean your house is unusable by your family while filming is taking place, you can pretty much go about your daily business if your house is being used for a photo-shoot.

The other main difference is in what you can earn, as rates for photo-shoots are generally lower than for filming.  Whereas a film day might start at £1,500 per day, this would be the real top end for a photo-shoot, with many photo-shoots, say for editorial magazines, paying much less than £1,000 per day. However, if you have a popular location, you can easily earn a good income through a regular volume of photo-shoot work with far less of the hassle that comes with filming.

So what are the secrets of success for photo-shoot locations? We will be telling you more about what makes a great photo-shoot location over the next few weeks. 

Using your house as film location - the reality!

It is easy to focus on the glamorous side of using your house as a film location - seeing your house in a film or in a TV drama; a chance to meet your favourite stars; and of course the opportunity to earn some extra income. But using your house as a film location isn't just money for old rope - not unless you have another house to retreat to and someone to take care of the whole event for you. The reality of using your house as a film location is long hours, inconvenience and if you are hoping for a chinwag with your favourite star, lots of hanging around waiting for them to appear and then (if you're like me) being too embarrassed to talk to them!

The reality
Do you remember that scene in ET, when ET is lying upstairs dying in the bathroom, and the mother of the house opens the front door in order to escape with the kids? All of a sudden their house is taken over by government officials in white suits who simply storm in and take over proceedings while the family watch helplessly at the side? Well, that's what using your house as a film location can feel like (but without the white suits)! Often a film set can number upwards of over 50 people, all with a job to do within a certain number of hours - they have hired your home for the day and they need to get going. They literally take over your house.

The hours
Typically a film day is 12 hours long but you should always factor in overtime as things rarely go to plan. So even if you are expecting to get your house back by 7pm, you could still find yourself sitting around waiting for the last people to go several hours later (don't worry - you can charge extra for overtime. At Lavish Locations we usually agree an overtime rate of 10% of the day rate per hour).

The disruption
You will have vans parked outside and people coming and going all day long. You may have your furniture moved out and your walls painted. We even know of one recent production that put in new bathrooms so that the location fitted their brief! At Lavish Locations we make sure that you are aware of exactly what will be happening on the day so that there are no nasty surprises.

And finally some good news!
The good news is that all the people using your location are professionals and they will be experienced in planning the proceedings, managing the day and then reinstating your property to exactly how it was before the film shoot. So by the time it is all over you will have your house back to how it was, plus a sizeable cheque for your trouble. And if you've hung around long enough and plucked up sufficient courage, you may even have got an autograph or two as well!

What can my house earn as a film location?

There is no single answer to what your house can earn as a film location - that depends on so many variables such as: what sort of filming is it for; what is the client's budget for a location; how many crew will there be, how disruptive will it be, how many days will they want it for; what type of location is it?



What type of filming is it for?

At Lavish Locations we get requests for locations for every type of filming, whether a feature film with major movie stars, to a student film for a show reel, or a pop promo for an unknown band. As you can imagine, budgets for such a variety can be very different. For a feature film we would expect our locations to earn upwards of £1,500 per day, whereas most pop promos have very small budgets. With this type of job we count on location owners having children who are keen to meet their idols! In every case it is our job to make sure that we match the client's budget with a fair price for the location.



How disruptive will it be?

The level of disruption can also impact what your house can earn as a film location - and in most cases for filming the disruption factor can be high! From crew sizes of upwards of 30 people; to catering lorries in the front drive; to your furniture being removed and stored; to lighting being rigged up in your neighbour's garden. And people taking over your house for at least a 12 hour day. However, in most cases you will be well rewarded for the disruption, and it is our job to make sure that you know exactly what will happen on the day.



A successful film location can earn a very useful income - indeed we have many locations on our books where this is the owner's primary source of income. Over the next few weeks we will be telling you more about what makes for a succesful film location and what you can do to make sure that you maximise your location's chances of being selected.

Locations Wanted

We have a client seeking a house with a wall safe for a photographic shoot. Needs to be in London or within the M25. If you think you have what we are looking for send in your photos to locationswanted@lavishlocations.com

So you'd like to use your house as a film location.

The credit crunch is well and truely upon us and the papers are full of ways to make some extra money. Lavish Locations is being inundated with calls from journalists running features about how to turn your house into the film star and get well rewarded for doing so. So are they right? Well, yes and no. It is true that for some very special locations (and you will learn over the next few weeks what makes a film crew want to come back and back again to the same location) they can earn significant sums of money year after year for allowing their house to be used for film, TV and photographic shoots. However, for many locations it is something of pot luck.

But there are certainly some things which will help your house get selected - the first of which is making sure that it is with a film location agency. For virtually every film, advert, magazine photoshoot, or TV drama, the first place they will come to for a location is a location agency. And for a residential location, the first place they will come is Lavish Locations, as for over 20 years we have been representing the largest and most diverse selection of residential locations in the UK.

Over the next few weeks you will learn about the reality of using your house as a film location; how to choose the right agency; what a good location agency will do for you; why our clients use a film location agency; what's hot in film locations; film location no no's and much much more.

Our blog is here to help you make the most of your house as a film location.

Not only that, we wil be regularly posting "looking for" bulletins so that you can volunteer your location if you see it fulfills the brief we are looking for.

Suscribe to our RSS feed and get lots of useful information to maximise your chances of being picked as a film location, as well as getting the opportunity to match your location to the briefs we are looking for.