by Kennedy Kao
In my experience, finding locations can be one of the more exhausting parts of pre-production. If you’re working with a small budget, there’s a good chance you’ll have a quaint number of options to choose from. But, as the great Orson Wells said, “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” To translate: embrace your low budget, use what’s available, and parlay your limitations into a profoundly moving piece of art that will only be possible with limitations!
Easier said than done, I know. But your film needs to be made and trust me, finding locations can be possible for the cheapest situations. Here are some ways I’ve managed to find locations for my short films.
1. Location Scout—Then Ask for Permission
No tricks or secret techniques here. If you’re looking for street exteriors, alleyways, restaurants, classrooms, even apartments or houses, nobody is stopping you from conducting a proper location scout and asking for permission. Pinpoint where you think your desired location will be (Google Maps will help a lot here), walk around the area and see if anything catches your eye. Then, very politely and professionally, ask anyone who owns the property if you can film.
It helps to bring a producer along (or anyone, for that matter) to make talking to random strangers less daunting. It also helps to bring a business card so they know you're legit.
Above all else, make sure to have your pitch to the property owner rehearsed. You want to sound clear, professional, and straight to the point. If someone rejects you, don’t push or try for a second time. There are plenty of other locations out there you can pine for!
You should make clear the following points when you ask for permission to use a location:
How you would use the location
What the project is about
Date/time of shooting
Whether there is compensation involved
Contact information
2. Facebook Groups
If you’re in Toronto, there are a wealth of Facebook filmmaking groups where you can inquire about anything related to film. Plenty of posts ask if anyone has a (insert your location here) available for filming. Below are some of my favourite Facebook groups (note that you’ll have to ask for permission to join before making a post):
TIP: When making a post asking about locations, include all necessary information and clear instructions on how people can contact you. This will be a theme for most of the methods listed here: be clear and thorough with any information you pass along.
3. Location Scouting Websites
If you have the money to spend on locations, consider the following websites. Like Airbnb or any real estate page, these websites will display a catalogue of locations you can browse through and inquire about.
Make sure you schedule visitations when selecting a location. Just like renting an apartment or buying a house, you want to ensure you fully get what is advertised. Be mindful that some of these websites are living spaces offered by actual tenants; therefore, you might have to coordinate with them to schedule optimal shooting dates.
4. Airbnb
I’ve mentioned Airbnb: Airbnb is a great option as well. Similar to websites like Setscouter and PeerSpace, you can browse for potential shooting locations with relative ease.
However, be upfront and let the Airbnb owner know you plan filming on their property. Some Airbnb’s might take issue with filming, no matter how small or low-budget your production is.
5. Friends and Family
Until they’re sick of you asking them, friends and family are always a reliable resource to find locations. Be clear with what you’re using the space for and grab them lunch as a thank you. In the spirit of Mark Borchardt (American Movie), you might want to ask them to invest further:
Here's a piece of advice for low-budget filmmakers looking for a living space to film in. Think of anybody you know who is similar to the character you are looking for a location for. Ask whoever comes to mind if you can use their living space. Suppose they say yes, well, great! But additionally, you maybe won’t have to do much production design. Another way to save some money!
6. Film Schools or student communities
If you attend a film school, you must be privy to the locations made available to students. However, access to these locations might seem far-fetched if you don’t attend a film school.
Film schools can offer shooting studios, booths, and sets that might service your production well. Richard Linklater got his start by sneaking into his friend’s film school classes and borrowing equipment on their behalf. You don’t have to go that far, but ingratiating yourself within a student film community (like the Hart House Film Board, wink, wink), can give you access to many more resources besides locations.
7. Networking Parties
Speaking of ingratiating yourself with a community, you can easily connect with other filmmakers by attending networking parties, film screenings, events, etc. By making connections, you’ll have easier access to a potential cast and crew that can help with your location scouting.
Some of the well-known Toronto film networking events are listed below:
Hart House Film Board Monthly Meetups (yes, we will put ourselves right below TIFF)
8. Putting up Signs
This might seem old-fashioned, but it can be pretty effective! Create a flashy, eye-popping poster with all relevant info and look for areas to put them up. For instance, if you’re looking for a house in the suburbs, look to put up signs in nearby plazas or available park lamposts.
Don’t put down your phone number or home address for contact information; you might get crank callers or unwelcome guests. Putting down your email address or a QR code for your social media or website is much safer.
9. Use What’s Available
Sometimes all that you’re looking for is right in front of you. Or around you. In very student-film fashion, you can use your cast’s houses if suitable. Or you can ask your crew if they could lend their spaces. Perhaps your living space is the only viable option, or (again, in very student-film fashion) maybe your parents are the only ones willing to let you film on their property.
In whatever case, always remember that you can shape your script to fit what location resources you have. Don’t lock down your script and ignore what is actually available to you. Be flexible and make the best of the options presented to you.
10. Just Go For it!
Just go for it. This is for the filmmakers looking to shoot in live locations, wondering if you need to get permission, and wondering how the hell you get permission in the first place.
The great filmmakers have encouraged all of us to film and welcome any conflict we meet. Especially if we don’t have the permission. The classic quote here is: “Film now and apologize later.”
While there is a correct way of getting permission, getting permits and waiting for official responses might be too expensive or time-consuming. But understand that there might be consequences to shooting in a live street, subway car, mall, etc. Security might stop you and ask you to leave. Someone might yell at you, asking if you have permission to film. In all those cases, it is best that you shoo away and look for Plan B.
So, as you scheme up a plan to shoot rogue, just know that all the student and indie filmmakers before you have schemed as well. In many ways, it is tradition for a filmmaker to shoot in a live location without knowing the consequences. But if you get caught, don’t let anyone know I sent you!
Conclusion: Have Fun and Be Creative with Your Location Scouting!
Explore, experiment, and have fun with finding your locations! While your restrictions and limitations may bother you, let them bother you. After a while, your imagination will run wild, and you’ll scrap and claw to uncover the locations your film deserves.
For more blog posts on indie filmmaking, check out the Film Board’s blog section, where you’ll find a range of insights that will help you on your filmmaking journey.