Sign here by Scott Graham / Unsplash Unsplash License
A film location agreement turns a promising property into a usable production location. Before call time, teams should settle access, areas, dates, usage rights, fee, insurance, damage, house rules and reset.
A film location agreement is where a promising property becomes a production-ready location. It should not only say that a crew may film there. It should define where the crew can go, when access starts, what may be recorded, how the material may be used, what the location fee covers and who is responsible if something goes wrong.
In Germany, you may hear this document called a Motivvertrag, location rental agreement, property release or location release. The label matters less than the content: both the production and the host need the same understanding before call time.
This article is not legal advice and is not a contract template. It is a practical clause checklist for productions and hosts who want to know what should be reviewed before signing.
A film location agreement covers the temporary use of a property for filming or photography. It joins three issues that are often confused: permission to enter the property, practical use during production and rights to the footage or images created there.
The Berlin Brandenburg Film Commission states that filming on private property and in private or public facilities always requires approval from the relevant owner or authority (BBFC: Filming in private locations). The agreement is where that approval becomes operational.
The larger the crew, equipment package, usage scope and property impact, the less a short email can carry. The agreement needs to anticipate the points that would otherwise become a shoot-day argument.
The agreement should clearly name the production, the location provider and the people authorized to sign for each side. The key question is not who has the keys. It is who can legally and practically approve commercial filming at the property.
Rental properties, leased premises, condominium units, apartment buildings, hotels, museums, schools, offices and restaurants can require additional approvals. The BBFC sample agreement refers, for example, to landlord, property-management and owners' association permissions in certain situations (BBFC sample location agreement).
A useful agreement does more than list an address. It identifies rooms, exterior areas, loading route, staircase, lift, corridors, bathrooms, holding, makeup, catering, storage, parking and areas that are off limits. Anything the crew touches on shoot day should appear in the agreement or an attachment.
This protects both sides. Productions know what they can schedule. Hosts can exclude private rooms, sensitive objects, branded areas, customer data, artwork, operating areas or resident-only spaces.
Access time is often the first real stress test. The German Federal Association of Location Scouts notes in its guide that a use day for film, prep and wrap is generally understood as 12 hours, while photo use is 10 hours; beyond that, overtime should be defined (BVL guide to location agreements).
In practice, that means earliest arrival, latest handover, night work, breaks, loading, prep, wrap, test days, hold days and extensions should be in writing. Leaving them open means negotiating under pressure later.
The agreement should say which location fee covers which scope of use. That includes shoot days, prep and wrap days, hold days, cleaning, power, heating, water, security, host staff, key handling, parking areas and any deposit.
The BVL guide recommends settling location fees before filming begins, at the latest on the first use day, and defining cleaning either as a flat fee or as a specific service (BVL guide). For a SetScout request, that means budget, duration and special requirements should be visible before booking, not after approval.
A location agreement should define how footage and stills created at the property may be used. TV, cinema, streaming, online ads, social media, websites, press, trade-fair films, pitch decks, behind-the-scenes material and still images are not the same exposure for a host.
The BVL guide notes that broad unlimited usage rights can be customary for films, while commercial shoots or advertising photography may call for different territorial or time-limited terms (BVL guide). This is exactly the distinction that should be discussed before signing.
Sensitive categories such as alcohol, pharmaceuticals, political messaging, adult content, weapons, religion, gambling or highly private spaces should not be handled vaguely. If a host wants to exclude certain uses, the exclusion needs to be specific.
Insurance is a core clause, not an attachment to chase later. The BBFC sample agreement expects a valid production liability policy covering personal injury, property damage and custody damage (BBFC sample agreement). The BVL guide also recommends requesting a copy of the policy and checking whether coverage is appropriate for the property.
The practical process matters as much as the clause: condition photos before and after, floor and wall protection, named contacts, claim deadlines, deposit handling, deductibles, cleaning, key return and a signed handback. A contract that mentions damage but does not define handover is incomplete.
Not every useful clause sounds legal. Some of the most important rules are simple: no smoking, no shoes on sensitive floors, no drone in the courtyard, no generator after 10 p.m., no filming of customer lists and no social posts from the property without approval.
For homes and commercial properties, the agreement should cover neighbors, house rules, noise, loading zones, fire safety, access control, data protection and confidentiality. The more recognizable the property, the more useful a short communication plan becomes for neighbors, employees or guests.
A location agreement is easier to complete when the request before it is precise. Productions should share project type, dates, access times, rooms, crew size, equipment, usage, sensitive content, budget and insurance status from the first serious inquiry.
On SetScout, that clarity helps both sides: hosts can judge whether the property fits, and productions can build a request that later translates into contract, insurance and payment. Read the companion checklist on the German location release form or start building a shortlist of production-ready film locations.
No. A location agreement covers the arrangement with the location provider. A filming permit usually concerns public land or specific authority requirements. For a private location, both can become relevant if equipment, parking, exterior shots or access routes touch public space.
Usually not for a first viewing. Before the actual shoot, the agreement should be complete and signed. For extensive recce photos, confidentiality or sensitive rooms, a separate early permission can make sense.
The agreement should say this directly. In practical production terms, the production is typically responsible for damage caused by filming, crew members or contractors. The useful proof is insurance evidence, condition documentation, a claim deadline and a clear handback process.
Not every small shoot needs a long contract, but written permission is almost always useful. The more commercial the use, the more recognizable the property and the greater the impact on rooms or operations, the clearer the agreement should be.
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