Location Scouting - Find a Place to Shoot Your Movie

Introduction

Location scouting is one of the most import ant steps in filmmaking. The right location does more than provide a background for your story, it shapes the mood, determines logistical needs, and even influences the budget. From lighting and sound to permits and accessibility, every choice impacts the success of a production. In today’s digital age, filmmakers need tools that simplify this complex process. That’s where Lowerated, an all‑in‑one filmmaking platform assisted by AI, comes in. With Lowerated, you can connect creative vision and production planning seamlessly.

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location as beautiful as you

What you can do in Lowerated

Lowerated gives you two connected flows:

1. Location Profiling: build the creative record for each place your script mentions.

2. Location Scouting: collect real candidates with addresses, photos, costs, and approvals.

Both live inside the project so creative intent and practical info stay together.

Start location scouting with your script

Import or write your script. Lowerated pulls out location slugs and creates starter profiles. You’ll see a list like “INT. GOVERNMENT OFFICE – NIGHT,” “EXT. CITY STREET – DAY,” and so on. Each item opens into a profile you can expand.

Inside a Location Profile you can add:

• Display name and a plain-language description

• Interior, exterior, or mixed

• Time of day for story purposes

• Mood and atmosphere notes

• Visual details the camera team should know

• Sound notes the audio team should expect

• Reference images and quick mood boards

• Freeform notes for art, camera, and ADs

these are extracted from your script

Tip: Add three reference images per location. One establishing, one texture, one detail that sells the mood.

Turn the profile into real options

Open a profile and add Scouting Options. Each option is one real place you can secure.

Record the basics:

• Name, full address, and a map pin

• Owner or manager contact info

• Availability window they gave you

Capture logistics:

• Parking for trucks and crew cars

• Power access and tie-in points

• Restrooms, holding, and staging areas

• Load-in path and elevator limits

• Catering rules and trash plan

• Any time or noise restrictions

Note permits and insurance:

• Which office issues the permit

• Insurance wording they require

• Site rep, security, or police needs

Add cost info:

• Day rate or hourly rules

• Overtime and night premiums

• Deposit and payment method

• Any cleaning fee or site rep fee

Then add your photos:

• Wide outside

• Entry and load-in

• Each room from each corner

• Windows and direction of light

• Ceilings, floors, fragile finishes

• Breaker panel and outlets

• Parking and base camp area

Add a location you think might be good

Use the map to cut guesswork

Drop a pin on the map and save coordinates. It helps later for sunrise and sunset planning, call sheets, and directions for crew.

One view to see all the scouted locations

Status that keeps everyone aligned

Each scouting option carries a simple status.

• Not scouted

• In progress

• Scouted

• Approved

• Rejected

Filter by status to see where you stand. Producers get a quick pulse. Department heads know what is locked and what still needs a visit.

Lists of all the locations in the script, and the scouted ones

A clean way to compare options

Every option can be rated on the same scale so you can compare apples to apples.

• Technical fit

• Cost fit

• Accessibility for crew and gear

• Overall recommendation

Write a one-line verdict for each option. When you are ready, mark one Approved and leave one Backup. The final choice is pinned to the profile so the whole team sees it.

The full pass: a simple, repeatable workflow

1) Prep from your desk

• Scan the scene list for each location

• Note day vs night and weather risks

• List script elements that raise cost: stunts, vehicles, crowds, animals, fire, water

2) Build the profile

• Write the creative intent in one paragraph

• Add a few reference images

• List must-haves and hard no’s

3) Add scouting options

• Contact owners or the film office

• Create options with addresses and availability

• Pre-score from photos if they share any

4) Field scout

• Shoot wide, medium, detail in a consistent order

• Record 20 to 30 seconds of ambient sound

• Measure door widths and stair turns

• Find the breaker and look up at the ceiling

• Confirm parking and holding

5) Evaluate together

• Enter costs, restrictions, and photos

• Add ratings and a one-line verdict

• Pick an Approved option and a Backup

6) Lock and share

• The Approved option is pinned on the profile

• Export a location packet for the crew

Lists of all the locations in the script, and the scouted ones

Budgets and risks you can see

Common cost lines: Location fee, permit fees, site rep, police or traffic control, restroom rentals, generator or power tie-in, parking lot rentals, cleaning, insurance certificate, overtime.

Risks to flag: Uncontrolled sound, fragile finishes, narrow load-in, limited parking, strict neighbors or HOAs, weather exposure.

Log these once and the same notes support scheduling, budgeting, and call sheets.

Series and returning sets

For series, a single script location can appear across many episodes. Keep one Location Profile and attach different Scouting Options by season. Mark which option was used in each episode so art and continuity stay consistent.

Collaboration that travels

• Producers see cost and permit notes alongside the creative brief

• Art and camera review mood notes before a scout

• Sound flags noisy streets or HVAC units early

• ADs plan load-in and quiet hours without chasing messages

• Legal pulls owner contacts and insurance wording from one screen

The background was a paid actor

Exports that crews actually use

Create a Location Packet with:

• Address, map, and coordinates

• Contact and access notes

• Parking and load-in instructions

• Photo pages for inside and outside

• Cost summary and deposit note

• Key restrictions and time windows

Export to PDF for the team or CSV for your production tracker.

Field checklists you can copy

Before the scout

• Profile has mood images and must-haves

• Scenes linked with day and night counts

• Weather and season notes written

On the scout

• Photo sequence: wide, medium, detail

• Ambient sound clip recorded

• Door widths, stair turns, ceiling height measured

• Power, parking, holding identified

After the scout

• Costs and restrictions entered

• Photos uploaded with clear captions

• Ratings and verdict written

• Status set to Scouted or Approved

Dunkirk shot at Dunkirk, crazy location scouting

Final note

Locations run through the whole film. When the script, creative intent, logistics, costs, and approvals live in one track, decisions are faster and surprises drop. LOWERATED gives you that track. Start with a script import, open the first profile, and add a real place. The rest of the flow will feel natural.