(Page 2 of 2 pages for this article < 1 2)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Location, Location, Location
Kendal Miller | 09/29
Keys To Successful Location Scouting
Working With The Sun
Take out your compass and get an east and west bearing for any rooms that have windows. This information will be helpful later when calculating optimal shooting times and lighting conditions. Take a bearing for any exteriors as well. Note all this information on the overhead layouts. This information will allow you to know when you are going to killed by the sun just raking through a window or when it might be acceptable to shoot in that space.
A Sound Idea
Also learn to develop an ear for potential audio problems, this especially important if you are not scouting without your sound engineer. Close your eyes, what do you hear? Is it excessive, if so can it be dealt with? Now is the time to find out, remember that maintenance guy’s number you wrote down? Why don’t we call him up and see if its possible to stop that exterior AC unit. If its not possible then we may have to consider another location. A larger part of location scouting is finding workable locations. Even though it may be the best location in the world, it isn’t worth the risk of blowing your day try to wrangle audio issues that weren’t taken into consideration during a scout.
Outside the Box
When working on exteriors all of the previous rules apply. Take photos starting wide, and work your way in. Especially important in exteriors, remember to take good compass readings as stated above. In an exterior environment pay very close attention to the background. Often times opening up the space and shooting in a wider exterior means you also risk uncontrollable variables. Do you need a way to limit foot traffic in your frame? How about vehicles? Ask yourself all of the same questions as before. On Exteriors I really like to play with my potential angles and my directors finder or digital camera. The nice thing about exteriors is that they open up your options to be able to move around. So make sure you move around and explore your options in the scouting process. Remember, the goal here is to prepare yourself for shooting. Take the time to gather enough information so that when you show up to shoot you can walk to a spot and start setting up. Don’t forget to factor in where the sun will be when you actually shoot. You may be scouting at 3:30pm in the afternoon but planning to be shooting at 9:00am in the morning. This will drastically change your lighting conditions. Use a software such as Sun Path or visit a website such as http://solardat.uoregon.edu/SunChartProgram.php to get the data for free. Armed with both the compass bearing and angle you can use of a compass and clinometer to figure out where the sun will actually be when you will be shooting. Another great tool for calculating sun position is your iPhone. You can use the Helios Sun Calculator and a 3Gs iPhone with a the magnetic compass to quickly and accurately calculate the future position of the sun’s bearing and azimuth.
Explore the Options
Unless you absolutely have no time, I rarely stop with scouting the pre-identified shooting spaces on a location scout. I like to just walk through the location and take photos of additional areas I like. You never know when you’ll find a better space than your original one. This process also allows you to log additional locations for further shoots. The biggest advantage is this gives you a backup plan for the shoot day if something unexpected comes up. You can pull from your secondary spaces if something ruins your plan for the original spaces. I once did a corporate shoot that I scouted additional rooms for. Sure enough I showed up a week later to shoot and they had booked the rooms I had originally scheduled to shoot. I immediately pulled my scouting reports with attached photos and selected three new spaces and secured them within 20 minutes saving my shoot. There is never such a thing as being over prepared. Think through weather possibilities as well when possible plan a cover set. A cover set is a location that you can shoot in if your exteriors get rained out or otherwise destroyed. What other interior options are there and how can you make them work?
The Basics
If this shoot involves any size crew at all don’t forget the basics. Where are the closest restroom facilities? Where can the crew park? Identify the best staging areas for gear. Are they secure? What is the best way to load in and wrap out? How about a location release, surely you secured that right? Is there an area that be secured as a green room for talent and makeup?
If you just cannot justify the time for a location scout for a straightforward production, then may I suggest an alternative solution. If you just cant swing a scout then factor in a compressed scout at the head of your shooting day, just schedule it in. Take about 90 mins at the head of the day to familiarize yourself with the possibilities, electrical, sound issues, sun positions etc…Once you have accumulated your data sit down and make a game plan for the day. You can do this before your crew arrives that way when they get there you can issues marching orders and have everyone working at maximum efficiency. Again, this should not replace full location scout unless absolutely necessary. While there is some definite leg work involved in the scouting process, done correctly you will find yourself armed with a wealth of knowledge. Used properly this information will allow you to show up to shoot with game plan and ready to play ball.
(Page 2 of 2 pages for this article < 1 2)
You must be registered to comment. This is an effort to reduce spam. Please REGISTER HERE.
|
