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Getting your locations sorted out
is a vital part of the planning process.
Obviously you need to find a suitable place to film
but you also need to avoid interruptions
find out about what other activity may be going on when you want to film
you need to get permission to film
and you also need to make arrangements for the comfort and safety of your crew and contributors
and the safety of anyone you may come into contact with when you're filming.
It's really useful f you can visit your locations before you make any firm arrangements.
If you're filming interviews you'll need to make sure that the space is large enough
for you, your crew,
you're interviewee,
and any observers. Your client, for example.
Providing some depth between your interviewee and the background
makes for a better shot.
Do you have this space and is the background suitable?
Use your camera
to find a good position for filming.
Well, this looks good.
I'm in the corner of the room,
and the interviewee will be in front of me...
and there's plenty of room between them and the background.
I need to find a good position. I think that looks OK.
Don't be afraid to move
chairs, desks or any furniture...
or posters, or pot plants...
anything like that.
But it's always best to ask first.
Are there enough power points?
You don't want to blow any fuses,
and if you're lighting your interview, you should really use an RCD -
Residual Current Device.
You need to check if the lighting in the room is susceptible to change.
On sunny days you'll notice the lighting in the room change throughout the day -
especially if you've got large south-facing windows.
Now these curtains are very good for blacking out the window.
But you could also use black bin bags as well.
Is there likely to be any extraneous noise?
Are you underneath a flight path?
Is there going to be building works or grounds maintenance going on
when you plan to film?
Hammering, drilling,
traffic noise,
can make a huge difference to your schedule if you need to move somewhere
quieter at the last minute.
You'll also need to make sure that the space hasn't been books by someone else.
Sorry, I think I've booked this room.
Uh...OK, hold on a minute.
The thing to remember is that if you plan ahead and check for space,
power,
lighting and noise, then you'll have plenty of time to make other arrangements to find
another suitable interview location.
And that means you too.
Locations include many obvious places, like the interiors and exteriors
of private property,
people's homes, shops and offices. But it also includes many
less obvious places.
Many places you might think of as public are actually privately owned.
Pavements outside of shops, shopping malls, the space in front of railway stations,
and even parks and gardens.
Many councils provide information on location filming,
and it makes sense to check before you set up and shoot.
Once you've found the owner, you need to discuss with them what you want to do
and get their permission in writing.
You can usually use a location release form,
but you need to discuss that with each owner.
Even if you're at you're normal place of work
you'll still need to liaise with your security and estates department.
You need to arrange parking, ease of access to the location,
and cause the least
disruption as possible when you're filming.
The safety of yourself, your crew, your contributors and clients and any others
you come into contact with, is paramount.
You should do all you can to minimise risk,
and carry out the risk assessment as part of your planning process.
You need to think about:
the hazards.
It's easy to forget what's going on around you
when you trying to get the shot you need.
The risks.
What could be wrong, and
who might be affected?
You need to think about the effect your work will have on others.
What special measures do you need to take?
For example it's useful to have someone on the lookout while you're filming.
What could be done to prevent or control risks?
Have a plan ready
for if something goes wrong.
You should ask yourself, does the owner have adequate public liability insurance?
If you're working at a remote location,
can you access emergency services?
Has the location adequate catering and toilet facilities?
Will you need to provide refreshments?
And if you're using lighting during filming will you need to provide ventilation
to avoid overheating?
When planning to film on location you should first have look at the places you planning to film
before making any firm arrangements.
At this stage it's easy to minimise the risk of things going wrong,
and not leave things to chance.
You should ask yourself, is this a suitable location? Will you be interrupted?
Do you need permission to film here?
What health and safety risks are there - and what can you do to minimise them?
If you plan ahead and manage foreseeable risks
you'll have more time to deal with problems when they occur.