TV Directing 02: Locations

TV DIRECTING 02:  Locations

This won't be the most glamorous blog, but for aspiring filmmakers, being aware of the importance of locations is essential.  For film fans, it might just be some interesting behind the scenes information.

The two primary concerns when scheduling a TV shoot are:

1)  Actor schedules

2)  Locations

I won't be talking about casting in this series, but you can read a couple previous blogs about:

Acting:  Auditioning Acting:  Fear

So - before anything else, these things need to be locked in.  For a TV show, most of the important actors are relatively locked, so the primary concern is Locations.

Right at the start of pre-production, the Location Manager, Assistant Director, and Director will go scout locations which the Manager has already found.  On larger shows, someone from the Art Department would also go.

Like everything else, the element I'm looking for here is what location best represents the drama of the scene.  It's pretty simple - if it's a big dramatic moment - a big dramatic location is going to help make the audience feel it.

The second most important thing is aesthetics.  I want a location where I can find a shot.  An empty room with blank white walls is hell.  I look for good shapes, textures, colors.  Do not under estimate the value of texture in your images.

I try to make sure the blocking (where the actors move) can happen in the space.

Now, the AD has a different agenda - he wants to know how far away the trailers have to park from the set, are there rest rooms, do we need to bring a water truck in case of a fire shooting in the hills and so on.  Obviously worrying about audio disturbances like construction or airplanes passing over is huge.  That can kill a shoot's productivity.  Other concerns are getting permission from the city to shoot at all (and paying the permit fees) - sometimes you have to pay a monitor for the location or a fire marshall to stand by - then you need permission from the lcoation itself.  So, even if the location costs $500 - by the time you add in the permits and monitors, you might be at $1500.  Then, you might need to add in generators, water trucks, honey wagons, or whatever else the locations needs.  $$$$.  Signage.  Signage can kill a location.  You can't show the name of signs or you risk being sued for damages.  This might not be common in China or HK yet, but this kind of lawsuit is very common in the US and really hampers filmmaking.  This is one of the things where the people supporting privacy laws (which I think is a great idea to protect people) will need to be careful to make sure it doesn't get out of hand like it has here.

I think locations are one of the most major paradigm shifts for amateur* shifting to professional filmmaking.  As an amateur you can usually talk someone into letting you use their space (and their power) for free and sneak doing it without a permit - but the minute the idea that someone will be making money from this - people want money for a location and all these other issues enter the fray.

Los Angeles is not the ideal place to shoot because there is no excitement at all for the location to have their location in a film.  It happens everyday.

Generally expensive looking locations are more expensive.   Name brand locations are more expensive.  UCLA is more expensive to shoot at than COC.  Why?  Well, you know what UCLA is, but you don't know what COC is.  (It's another college.)  So, that's name value.

But remember, you need people to shoot and a place to shoot them.  Having a camera can be arranged pretty easily compared to having a place to shoot.

*amateur:  I'm using this term in the literal way - someone who is making a movie for no money.  I don't want to use the word "independent" because "independents" often have to pay for their locations and they often make money off their movies.