WHEN I WRITE MY STORIES I SEE A CURTAIN LOOK, A LOCATION IN MY MIND ... A PLACE FOR MY STORIES TO BE FILMED. SO DURING SCOUTING I PHOTOGRAPH STILLS AND THE PHOTOGRAPHS HELP ME WITH THE VISUALS AND LOOK FOR MY FILM.
LOCATION SCOUTING IS WHERE I BEGIN TO PUT THE PIECES OF MY FILM TOGETHER. I GATHER IMAGES THAT START TO CAPTURE ASPECTS OF THE VISUAL STORYTELLING AND ALSO A FEELING.
THE ONE PERSON YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE DURING THIS PROCESS IS YOUR CINEMATOGRAPHER / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY / CAMERA PERSON AND IF POSSIBLE YOUR GAFFER AS WELL.
YOUR CAMERA PERSON SHOULD GO TO ALL THE LOCATIONS TO MAKE NOTES ON HOW TO HANDLE THE LIGHTING FOR THAT SET AND OR THAT LOCATION. THE CAMERA PERSON WILL THEN TALK WITH THE GAFFER AND MAKE SOME FINE TUNING ON HOW THE LIGHTING WILL BE HANDLED AND THE TYPE OF EQUIPMENT YOU WILL BE USING FOR SHOOTING AT THAT LOCATION.
THERE ARE TIMES I GO TO A LOCATION AND SIT FOR A FEW HOURS JUST TO LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY AND OR NIGHT THERE. HOW NOISY IS TRAFFIC? HOW FREQUENT PLANES FLY? IS THERE CONSTRUCTION NEAR BY? IS THERE A FREEWAY WITH CONSTANT NOSE?
SOMETIMES I'LL FIND A LOCATION THAT ISN'T SCRIPTED AND I'LL PHOTOGRAPH IT FOR REFERENCE. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR THE SCRIPT TO ADJUST TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A SITUATION LIKE THAT.
SOMETIMES THE LOCATION OFFERS YOU SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE TOUGH AND EXPENSIVE TO BUILD.
IF YOU ARE USING SOMEONES HOME OR APARTMENT FIND OUT ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL PANEL, SEE HOW MUCH SERVICE THERE IS TO THE HOUSE. PUBLIC OUTDOOR LOCATIONS? FIND OUT ABOUT PERMITS AND OTHER PAPER WORK.
THREE PEOPLE THAT COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER ON LIGHTING IS THE CINEMATOGRAPHER, GAFFER & GRIP.
