Location Scouting: The Tricks of the Trade (page 2)

Indoor Challenges

Next, Jim heads over to the multi-purpose room. Shooting video indoors requires a similar careful approach. Inside a building, there is a stronger possibility that the wireless mike may not work properly, due to greater interference and dropouts caused by the radio transmission bouncing off walls and arriving at the receiver at slightly different times.

Jim rigs the mike transmitter at the podium and discovers a large dead spot near his preferred shooting area. But by moving several feet to one side, sound comes through loud and clear. He sticks a small piece of duct tape on the floor to mark his exact location.

The next item on Jim's agenda is power. He checks for the nearest power outlets, and notes that it only has two plugs. If he wants to set up a monitor other equipment, he may need to bring a power strip as well as an extension cord. Jim asks a maintenance person where the circuit breakers or fuse box can be found, to be prepared for potential power problems.

After telling him where the circuit box is located, the maintenance person tells Jim that the sound board will be very close to his camera, so Jim makes a note of the type of connector and cable he will need to pull sound right off the board. It always pays to check this out very closely. Accidentally pumping speaker voltage into the camera's mike-level input will be sure disaster.

Jim notes that the stage is bathed in a strange pink glow; the flourescent lights illuminating the stage have a very strange tint to them. Our man Jim likes to come prepared: a trip to his car produces a small portable TV that he plans to use as a shooting monitor. Running a cable from his camera to the TV confirms his suspicions. The white balance cannot cope with this weird light. He tries the outdoor and indoor presets and decides in this case he will have to manually white balance the camera. Zooming in on a piece of white paper will produce a true white and Jim is relieved to see natural colors reappear on his monitor.

Jim's location research is complete. He has created a checklist, investigated the sound and light characteristics of both the indoor and outside spaces and has talked with people in charge of the event. When he gets home, he will put it all down in order in his notebook and calendar. No surprises and a fun day are what a methodical investigation of location is all about.

A Location Of One's Own

The second type of location work involves finding a site for your own project. Here you will be on the lookout for dramatic backgrounds, colorful street scenes or mysterious old houses. When you first begin imagining what your video will look like, you can get an idea of what sort of mood or setting you want to create. This time, you get to pick your own location to match the look you're after.

Often, it's a good idea to have at least a written treatment of your script idea before you begin scouting locations. Writing a treatment has been covered in detail in other issues (see Put it on Paper First in Videomaker's November 1997 issue), but in a nutshell a treatment is a short piece that tells what the video is all about. So if the treatment says the camera follows three people through dry grass to an old barn, you know that scene will have to be found. Similarly, if the treatment tells you that later on these people are involved in a heated discussion in a gloomy tavern, you will have to locate such a place and get the owner's permission to shoot your video.

So step one in location research is determining what actual places need to be found. But first--do you really need to go somewhere to shoot your video, or could you create a set in your own house or backyard? Maybe you already have footage from another time and place that you can cut into your production to suggest a location.

Out in the Field

When you have determined that you need to go out in the field, it's best to make a list of shots you need. In the previously mentioned story, suppose the three people walking through dry grass toward the old barn discover a perfectly preserved but dusty old car. The video centers on the discovery of the car, the subsequent disputes over its ownership and how the three agree to work together to restore it.

For this sequence, you need a barn, an old dusty car and a house with a garage. Let's fast forward to the barn, and concentrate our research there. It goes without saying that you have first obtained permission to use this site. Since this barn has been deserted for many years, you'll need a generator to supply your own electrical power. You should also plan to bring plenty of fully charged batteries for the camera.

If your shooting script shows several scenes in the barn. Your checklist must then include changes of clothing that go with the different scenes. You want to get all the barn shots the same day. This means planning everything that will be needed at the location, including food and water. Since daylight will be streaming in the big doors, you will be faced with a mix of daylight and artificial light. Putting gel filters on the lights will equalize the two kinds of light. Or it could be possible to achieve an unusual effect by allowing the two kinds of light to interact. Whatever the circumstances, it's best to be prepared for any eventuality.

The same goes for all location shooting. Try to think of the things that will be needed on shooting day and keep your lists from one project to another. With these ideas in mind, your next location shoot will be a success.