Everything You Need to Know About Shoot Locations in Video Production
The setting is part of what conveys your video's narrative. Learn how we choose and find the perfect shoot location(s) in commercial video production.
Image: Noble Bison Productions’ Music Video Shoot
Choosing the right shoot location(s) is extremely important in commercial video production. You can better tell the video's narrative and build the necessary tone and feel for your viewers with the perfect setting. That's why, when choosing the locations, we start with the storyboard. What is happening, and how can we best bring that to life in front of a camera?
Are we in a modern corporate setting?
A squeaky-clean doctor's office?
Or, maybe, an old-timey barn in the middle of nowhere.
In addition, we want to understand the intention behind your video. It helps us determine the finer details I mentioned before, like the mood and energy we need to depict.
MAXIMIZING TIME AND MONEY SPENT
Since video production can get costly, we organize it to make the schedule and shoot days as efficient as possible. To save our clients' time and money, we consider the best way to use locations in an economical way that doesn't sacrifice the overall quality of their video. For instance, finding a single location that allows us to film two separate scenes (versus shooting at two different places). The time that we save moving locations for the second scene is massive. It could sometimes mean a whole new day of production, increasing costs by thousands of dollars.
PERMITS & INSURANCE
What's great about hiring a professional video production company is that they will check the regulations and rules of a location before the shoot (if applicable) and acquire any permits or specific insurance necessary. This includes the type of certifications, etc., needed for drones, too!
FINDING THE PERFECT SHOOT LOCATION
Video production companies choose and find the locations that best suit a client's needs in various ways. And before we lock in a location, our team walks it to ensure the lighting and space are perfect for the project. Below are the five common avenues we find and secure shoot locations.
HIRING A LOCATION SCOUT
SHOOTING ON-LOCATION
STUDIO SPACES
RENTED SPACES
HIT THE ROAD
HIRING A LOCATION SCOUT
Video production companies often hire a location scout to find shoot locations that are very specific to the storyboard or sites that require a particular type of access. They usually have a lot of contacts and networks they can tap into to find what you need. However, hiring a location scout is quite costly because of their connections and the real difficulty of finding specific locations. Another downfall can be that the scout doesn't come up with precisely what we were looking for, or even worse, empty-handed altogether.
2. SHOOTING ON-LOCATION
Especially with commercial video production, on-location shoots at the company's storefront, offices, or warehouses, are very common. Shooting on-location is the most cost-effective location option in that you don't have to spend money on location scouts, rental fees, or permits.
Being on-location with employees or CEOs conveys a sense of transparency and rawness to their viewers. These videos frequently tell a story about the company and put a face to the business and brand.
3. RENTED SPACES
Websites like Peerspace and Giggster offer listings of spaces available to rent for video production, photography shoots, events, etc. Depending on what your project calls for, it may be as simple as renting out a space that is available online. The cost of rentals can fluctuate based on the actual location and the time (days) we need to film there.
As I said, video production companies like Noble Bison are always looking for the most cost-effective way to create the best video we can. If it's possible, we're all about saving money on a location scout if we can find your perfect location through one of these services.
4. STUDIOS
Image: Noble Bison Production at Studio Shoot
Studios offer optimal shooting conditions. You can arrange the lighting however you'd like and record clean audio. In addition, there is a certain peace of mind that comes along with the convenience of an easy-to-find location, parking, and restrooms. In other words, studios allow for a much more curated experience. They are perfect for things like sizeable corporate interview shoots.
5. HIT THE ROAD
Yep, the ole tried and true option to "hit the road." As I mentioned, even if we hire a location scout, they may not find exactly what we need, so sometimes the only way to find the perfect shoot location is to go out and find it ourselves. With help from Google maps and friendly local Coloradans (plus a bit of luck), we have uncovered some of the most unique and attractive locations for our client's videos.
Once, we needed a shot of a farm with a giant "x" in it, so we drove around for days meeting farmers and walking their properties looking for an x. You'll see below; we ended up finding the perfect one owned by some charming people who were so welcoming to our crew shooting on their property.
To close,
Choosing the perfect shoot location(s) starts with your video's storyboard, but it must also fit within your budget. Pre-production meetings with the video production company you hire will help you determine these details. Noble Bison Productions works hard to maximize our client's budget — we want your video to look at good as you do, so we work hard to ensure we find the location that best suits your wants and needs!
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Our Noble Bison Team would love to learn more about you and your needs.
NOBLE BISON PRODUCTIONS
A DENVER VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY
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