There are a few things that you will always be looking for when making a movie. You will always be looking for more funding, you will always be looking for qualified and competent actors, and you will always be looking for the perfect location to shoot at. Nine times out of ten, the perfect location will belong to someone else.
First, adopt the mindset that you are going to treat the place more respectfully than you treat any property you own. You want to make sure that everybody understands the great privilege you have of shooting there, and that they all act like they have been allowed to shoot at the Louvre.
To begin, it helps if the person who owns the property is there the day of the shoot. For larger locations, it's nice to have a representative from the production company there. This is not necessary, but it helps insure that everyone will be on their best behavior, and that you have someone to turn to if you have any questions. Get a list of what can be moved and what can be climbed and what can be adjusted.
If you're going to be moving anything, make sure you take a number of photos of the space beforehand. In fact, it's a good idea to take photos no matter what. Make sure you get photos of the whole space, and detailed photos of anything that will be adjusted.
These images will serve as a reference for you at the end of the shoot when you need to put everything back where it was before you were there. Ultimately, the goal of a shoot is to go in, get your coverage, and leave the place looking and feeling exactly as it did before you came. Reference photos will help you do this.
The same etiquette goes for food and drink. As a general rule, it's better to never eat and drink all over a location. While you and your crew need to refuel, try to do this either outdoors or in a section of the location specifically designed for this. Film crews are not known for their mannered eating, they generally have to do so in a rush, which promises dropped food, crumbs and debris, and spilled drinks. Because of this, it is absolutely imperative that no one eats and drinks outside of the designated dining area.
Smoking: First, do not let anyone smoke inside a location. Even if the home is owned by smokers, do not let anyone smoke inside. If for no other reason, not everyone involved will be smoking, and it's best to keep smoking away from non-smokers. Have people smoke outside, and have them collect there butts in cans or jars or ashtray. Do not let anyone toss their butts.
Finally, you want to make sure that nothing you are doing is going to disrupt the neighbors. Sometimes this is not possible, for instance when you're shooting an argument. If this is the case, speak with their neighbors beforehand and make sure it is ok with them. Talk to the neighbors again the day of and remind them what's going on. Police visits tend to end film shoots very quickly.
In closing, you should always over estimate how long your shoot will take and give the longer time to the owners. It's always better to ask for more and end up using less then the opposite.
Continue for more from THS on to film making blog and our film production software page.
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