5 top tips when choosing a film location

Whether choosing an indoor or an outdoor film location, there are things that location managers must take into account.

Be aware of background noise

When scouting a location, it’s vital to visit at every time of the day, and to listen thoroughly while there. You may not be aware of background noises like distant railways or motorways which seep unnoticed into your subconscious, but microphones on set will pick them up. Always visit at the same time of day as when you will be filming.

Permit requirements

Filming on private property requires the permission of the location owner or manager. However, always let the local police force know, so that if they are made aware of something illegal that a member of public has seen who hasn’t spotted the film crew, they will know not to arrive with sirens blaring.

Be considerate of neighbours of the location, and make them aware of possible disruption and noise disturbance. Having neighbours on side will go a long way to making your shoot a pleasant experience for everyone involved.

When filming in public spaces, permission will be required from the relevant authorities for, amongst other things, traffic to be diverted or restricted access to local businesses.

Health and Safety requirements

The law dictates that no matter the location, a safe working environment must be provided for all, and HSE regulations must be observed at all times. These include, but are not limited to, thorough risk assessments - all current guidelines can be found on the government website.

Be aware of local facilities

It pays to know where local facilities are situated, especially when filming in more remote locations. Make sure you know where the nearest hospital is, whether there is car parking close by, and what, if any, transport links service the area. When filming in residential or built up areas, think about access for crew and equipment and whether they will be able to park closely enough to avoid carrying heavy gear long distances.

Toilet facilities

The law surrounding the provision of welfare facilities in the workplace is clear; employers are expected, ‘as far as is reasonably practicable’, to provide ‘adequate’ facilities. Welfare facilities include toilet, washing and changing facilities. Where location managers think that a lack of such facilities could rule out a potentially perfect location, portable toilet hire is the ideal solution.

Portable toilet hire for filming

Luxury toilet hire offers the required amount of facilities in top of the range, high end conditions. With a wide choice of trailer available, location managers can offer performance and technical professionals both comfort and glamour, with sufficient space for costume changes, in addition to a host of other features that make toilet trailers luxury. Particularly suited to more remote locations, luxury toilet trailers require no mains water supply and can be operated on generator power where no mains electricity is available. To ensure location filming is fully accessible, luxury disabled toilets and disabled shower units are also available.

Fortis Hire for location filming

We can share our experience of working with major film and television studios, including Pinewood and Elstree studios and ITV, as we are aware of the pressures involved with location filming. Our team is professional and efficient and will work alongside your production team to ensure your welfare facilities are second to none.

We are proud to be authorised We Are Albert suppliers. As a leading charge against climate change, Albert  supports the global film and TV industry to reduce the environmental impacts of production. As an authorised supplier, Fortis Hire’s portable toilet hire enables the industry to make positive contributions to the environment via our vacuum toilet pods and our fresh flush toilet trailers.

To find out more about our reliable and professional service, and how we can help you, send us an email to sales@fortishire.co.uk or give us a call on 01525 643850