Location scouting & shoot planning from your desk!

Not your traditional location scout

It use to be that when you were planning a film or photography shoot, you had to rock up to the proposed location and have a proper look around, so that you could figure a few things out: 

• Are there any factors that might affect the shoot that we hadn't planned for?
• What does the light look like at a certain time of day?
• Is there anything unique or interesting about the location that would make a particularly great shot?
• How do we achieve that shot that we storyboarded in pre-production in this environment?

These are just some of the answers you might want to find from a traditional location recce, and the importance of having this information, come shoot day, is seen as invaluable by most directors, photographers, DoPs,producers and the like.

But what if the location is particularly difficult to get to? Or your creative lead is based in an entirely different country? Or the cost of getting your team out there is almost prohibitive when compared to the overall budget.

This is when things start to get a little tricky.

The thought of not knowing what you're up against when you walk on set might be unsettling for most people on any production.  There's nothing more time (and money) consuming as having to find the right shot on set, on the fly.  Not being prepared for whatever the elements throw at you is a surefire way to come away with something other than what was expected in the excitement of pre-production.

So, how can you prepare for a shoot if you can't physically get on set before your planned shoot days?

Digital Scouting...that's how.

The digital scout

We live in a time where the digital world has a lot to offer to someone looking to explore spaces – whether it's something specific like a 360 video tour of Marseille, or a more general look at the world through Google Earth, we can whisk ourselves away to pretty much any corner of the globe and have a nosey.

We also have software, like PhotoScan, that can stich images together and provide us with something of a virtual environment to explore, in what is called a 3D Point Cloud. Think of this as a 'virtual set', which we can use as a basis to make some key production decisions.

So, with these kinds of tools at our disposal, and with the right people using them, we now have the ability to check out a location from the comfort of our desk.

We can pre-visualise where the sun will be at a certain time of day.  We can explore certain shots by placing representative cameras in a 3D environment. We can place talent into the shot and explore what layouts work best in the final executions. We can show how, creatively and technically, proposed shots are going to be achieved, without ever having to set foot on set.  

This, like the traditional recce, serves to solve problems; particularly when it comes to complex and technically challenging shots.

Well, so what?

Renowned photographer, Andy Glass, had this to say about the process:

"Digital Scouting is an essential part of my workflow, whether we are integrating CGI elements into photography or simply solving complex compositions. The ability to explore environments with lensing and camera positions before we go on location is an extraordinary aid to the creative process, particularly helping me explain ideas to art directors and clients. Digital Scouting is an absolute win/win for everyone involved in the production."

It's a useful tool both from a creative and technical perspective, with the added benefits of minimising costs and accelerating production workflows.  The actionable insights it provides for the production and creative can definitely relieve a few potential headaches, which means everyone feels comfortable from the off that things have been considered – regardless of the fact it's the first time they've seen the place in real life!

For more info on digital scouting, visit our dedicated page at Taylor James.

Or, drop me a line at [email protected]