How to be a location scout
Nick Ray | Issue 79 | 79 april-may 2006
What could be more exotic and more glamorous than scouting far-flung locations, trying to find the best places for Brad and Angelina to play out their latest blockbuster? There’s travel, five-star luxury, a healthy pay check and lots of beautiful people!
But with a job description like that, you know it’s going to be a hard industry to crack. You need to prove your expertise in a destination, and master the knack of finding inspirational realities that mirror the director’s vision. You need to be prepared for hard work and odd requests. And you need to be able to beat off the millions of other location-scout hopefuls.
What does it involve?
The job does exactly what it says on the tin. You have to get out there and find locations for filming. Absorb the script, understand the image and find the reality. Often locations sell themselves, but sometimes you’ll sell the spot to the director with a dash of creative optimism. Logistics play their part: you don’t want locations that are too difficult to access or hours away from a comfortable base.
Once the scouting is over and the shooting begins, the circus comes to town. Hours can be long, particularly as a location manager: first on set, last to leave, plus dealing with requests, from the obvious to the absurd.
Bureaucracy and corruption are a hassle in many countries, as it’s common knowledge that many film companies have elastic budgets. This means inflated prices, unnecessary hurdles and lots of backhanders. Navigating a way through this messy maze is one of the hardest parts of the job and important allies are all.
Where to start
This is the sort of job people fall into by being in the right place at the right time. You could start as a researcher with a UK production house, but that is more likely to lead to the role of producer or director.
Some countries are saturated because they have a dedicated film-servicing industry (eg Thailand). They usually employ local staff before foreigners, unless you are very well-established in-country.
One way to get a foot in the door is to put yourself forward as an extra every time the opportunity arises and make contacts. Easier might be to settle somewhere such as Afghanistan or Zambia and carve yourself a niche.
Working in tourism or journalism in-country is a good first step, as you’ll get up close and personal with a destination. Ultimately it’s a word-of-mouth industry – once your name is in circulation for a particular country, gigs will follow.
The bread and butter work will be as a fixer for TV documentaries. Fixers look after crews in-country and are responsible for hiring local crew, arranging logistics, translating and generally keeping the show on the road. And, yes, fixing things when they go wrong. Working as a fixer is a good in to becoming a location scout, as working with TV crews you soon pick up the eye for the right spot. However, expect long hours and lower pay.
Perks of the job
You get to explore off the beaten track. Sometimes you are on the trail of something fairly obscure, which takes you into territory untravelled.
You also get to hang out with interesting people. Film stars, directors, sound recordists, riggers – most have worked around the world.
Further information
www.mandy.com A popular online directory for the film and TV industry worldwide. Sign on as a location scout and see what comes your way
www.kftv.com Kemps Film and Television database for jobs and information all over the globe
www.thelocationguide.com The number one online resource for locations, this will give you an idea of what it’s all about
Nick Ray is a guidebook author, tour guide and location scout based in Cambodia
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