Owner Guides and Support
Some people are put off listing their property as a potential location for an event, film or photo shoot, for fear that the production company will completely take over. It can happen, but that’s where having proactive and professional representation come into its own.
As a location owner, you are in the driving seat. It’s your property, so you dictate the terms. As your agent, our job is to represent you and your property and to ensure that all parties are happy with the clauses in the contract and that they are strictly adhered to. So, as a location owner, what rights do you have and what rules and regulations can you stipulate?
Rooms and areas
Just because your property is listed with an agency as a potential set for filming or a photo shoot, it doesn’t mean to say that all areas and rooms are up for grabs. You can specify which spaces are available. So, if it’s your home and you don’t want the exterior used, or any specific rooms within the house, then we won’t promote them and they’ll be completely out of bounds.
Similarly, if you have an empty floor of an office building that can be used as a set, but you don’t want the reception area or exterior used, and you’d rather minimise disruption by having cast and crew come through the back door, then that is something that we can manage on your behalf.
Timings
By their very nature, TV, film, music videos and to a lesser extent, photo shoots, can involve many hours and long days. It goes without saying, the more flexible you can be with regards to the availability of your property, the better. If it’s your home and it’s only going to be available in between school runs, then this is something that can be stipulated, but you must understand that locations with more flexibility are going to be far more popular with production companies.
The best thing to do is to talk to us. We have been in this business a long time and understand what our clients generally require. Everything is up for discussion and negotiation, and if your property is used, then it will be at dates and times that suit you – or with pre-agreed overrun fees.
Numbers of crew
Large casts and crews can run into 50 plus people – and equipment. That’s especially true of Bollywood sets and music videos where crews and entourages are very large. If your property doesn’t suit the size of the crew that a project realistically requires, then it won’t be put forward. However, if it does and you want to specify a maximum number that you feel your property can comfortably accommodate, then that is something you can do. It’s then up to the production company to decide if those numbers are realistic. If maximum crew numbers have been specified and agreed to by all parties, they will be written into the contract and we will ensure they are adhered to.
Types of project or scene
If a production agency is interested in your property for a project, then we will find out as many details as we can before we approach you. If you have any objections to specific scenes being filmed or shot in your house, such as murder scenes or unsavoury scenes, then you are completely at liberty to turn them down. We’ll try to ascertain any specific objections in the early stages of listing your location with us – it saves everyone a great deal of time in the long run.
Housekeeping rules
There will be a licence agreement in place to protect your property during a location hire, and we will hold a damage deposit, but you also get to dictate your own terms when it comes to housekeeping rules, such as what foods can be eaten within the property, where waste should be disposed, as well as access and parking. Parking restrictions and permits are not something you need to worry about, that level of detail is looked after by the production company. There’s more information on what is required from a location owner in our blog ‘What is required from a location owner?’.
Location fees
Location fees vary enormously according to the production. Some may only take a few hours, whilst others can run into weeks. Every project will have a budget and you are not obliged to accept what they offer. You will need to take into consideration the expected level of disruption and the type of project being put forward. Rest assured, we will always be on hand to advise you and manage the negotiations on your behalf.
We hope we have reassured you that as a location agent, our priority is ensuring that our location owners are 100% happy, at all times. We work very closely with our location owners before, during and after each project to make sure the experience is a fun and pleasant one. If you have any questions about the process or our services, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
