There are ten main elements to consider while scouting for locations.
1 - The person scouting should know the script and what kind of location it demands.
If the person scouting knows what the script demands, the location selected would be more appropriate and would suit the film more.
2 - The person scouting should do it at the right time.
Time is a really important element, if the shoot is at night an the person scouts in the morning, he might not get an accurate idea of the location’s ambiance.
3 - The person scouting should look at the light and see if it is appropriate for the script.
Lighting is a very vital element and the person scouting should consider it, this is also relative to the script as for a horror film, lesser light would be required and for a happy genre, more lighting would be appropriate.
4 - The person scouting should follow the sun at all times and should know the sunlight's angles.
If there is a window in the location then the light can be dramatically affected by the sun and this is why the person should always consider sunlight.
5 - The person scouting should consider power / electricity as a resource and should check for outlets.
If a location is perfect in all ways except that it does not have any power, it would be rendered useless as a lot of things need to be plugged in on shoot.
6 - The person scouting should listen for any overwhelming sounds.
Since the sound has to be recorded on shoot, if the location is very noisy and near a noisy area, it would be very difficult to get a clean sound in that location.
7 - The person scouting should look at the weather of the area.
If the location is very good but it is in a very cold area, then the shoot would be very difficult, hence this is a very important factor to consider.
8 - The person scouting should decide where to set up gear.
This is a very vital element to consider as space is necessary for setting up all the equipment, camera’s and seats for the director and other actors to sit while the shot is not ready.
9 - The person scouting should take permission to shoot from the owners.
If a location is very good and the owners decline the shoot, it is useless so the person should always ask for permission before the scouting.
10 - Evaluate the area for other necessities.
The shoot location should not be too remote as to not have any facilities for example, there should be a hospital nearby and food and water should easily be available at the location.
After considering all these elements, me and my teammate decided to go on a location scouting, we decided to scout for workshops and places where children are working.
After I was sure that the location was all set I had to fill the location scouting form. I asked my group member to help me with it..
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