Here is a brief overview of what to expect when offering your home as a shoot location, and also some guidance towards what is expected from you (the location owner) on the shoot day.
On the day of hire you must ensure that the property is in a ‘shoot ready’ condition for the client’s arrival. This means that the property must be clean and tidy and ready to be photographed. The presentation should be as close as possible to the images that we show on the website.
You are required to be at the property at the scheduled arrival time to greet the team. This will give you the opportunity to do a quick show around, provide wifi details, and handover any parking permits that might have been arranged.
It is a good idea to show the client how to work the alarm system, how to operate the heating, and the location of your fuse box and the water mains. Note: all of this information is provided to the client in the ‘Location Guide’ but it is helpful to quickly point these out at the start of the first day.
If the booking is for multiple days, then clients will expect to leave their equipment and props at the property overnight in between shoot days. You should discuss and agree where these items can be kept overnight. Remember that you will need to live in the house overnight, so clear access to the kitchen and somewhere to sit is essential.
Once you have completed the show around, it is is usually best to take yourself away for the rest of the day to allow the team the space to use the property for the purposes of the hire, without the concern of having the location owner hovering over.
Clients will be very busy loading in equipment, props etc, and all on a tight time schedule, which can become a little overwhelming to witness. It is important to point out that our clients do this day in day out, and are very experienced in hiring properties for location hire. Everyone is very respectful of your home, and any accidental damages are always put right.
Expect that clients will move your furniture and items, but always done with care and respect. Lift rather than drag is an unwritten rule in the industry which everyone abides by. However, if you do have any items of significance or personal value, then it might be best to move these to a private room in the house prior to the date of hire. As organised and professional as our clients are, accidents can happen.
When the shoot is due to complete, the client would expect for you to return home to carry out a ‘walk around’. It is the client’s responsibility to return the property to the condition it was found, so you are advised to give the house a check over and make sure that you are happy with the condition it is being returned to you. If you notice any damages at this point, then it is important to flag this with the client and discuss. Once the client has left the property, it is unlikely they will return if you suddenly notice that your living room sofa is now in your bedroom, and you hadn’t flagged this with them before their departure.
Flagging potential damages can feel uncomfortable when you are face to face with the hirer, but it is important that any concerns are raised as soon as they are found to assist in our recovering any costs for damages.
Most location owners allow a grace period of 15-20 minutes after the scheduled end time, but if the client is shooting after the agreed time, then overtime charges will be applied. The client is aware of the applicable overtime charges when they enter into contract to confirm the shoot. It is however advised that the location owner flag this with the client to confirm that that they are now in overtime and will be charged, as per their agreement with TLG. Always note the time, and the name of the last person leaving.
As always, we are on hand if you are unsure about anything or if you would like some further guidance. Please do give us a call and we will be more than happy to talk through your concerns.
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- Location Houses for Filming in the UK: An Overview
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