Preparing for a Location Recce: Questions for Every Department

A location recce is not a group stroll around a beautiful place. It is the point when directing, camera, sound, art department, and production assess whether the location can support the shoot day.

Without the right questions, the recce becomes little more than visual approval, and the problems emerge later in the call sheet: windows cannot be blacked out, refrigerators hum, the art department is not allowed to hang anything, the van has to park three streets away, or an escape route is blocked.

This checklist separates the questions by department. That way, every department leaves the recce with its own decisions, not just phone photos.

In brief: What must be confirmed by the end of the recce

• Directing and camera need to know which shots are genuinely achievable and which compromises will be necessary.
• Sound needs to hear the critical noise sources, not merely ask about them in theory.
• The art department needs approval for alterations, protection, reinstatement, and sensitive areas.
• Production must clarify vehicle access, parking, holding areas, toilets, power, working hours, neighbours, and the backup plan.

Why a location recce is more than a visual check

A location can be visually perfect and still fail on the shoot day. The recce connects creative intent with technical, logistical, and legal reality. The decision is reliable only once every department has identified its risks.

For film production, BG ETEM explicitly covers topics such as risk assessments, safety briefings, first aid, hazardous substances, and set-specific assessments. These are not peripheral paperwork. They are part of deciding whether a location can be planned safely.

Before the recce: What to prepare

Do not send only the address and time. Everyone involved needs the scene, scripted time of day, planned sightlines, crew size, equipment scale, usable areas, and unresolved dealbreakers.

• A script extract or scene description with time of day, action, and dialogue.
• Reference images for the look, lighting, colour palette, and desired sense of depth.
• A rough shot list or intended camera axes, even if the storyboard is not final.
• Preliminary crew size, equipment vehicles, cast, clients, extras, and unit base requirements.
• A list of questions that must be answered before booking.

Questions for the director: Does the location tell the scene?

The director is assessing more than beauty. The space must be playable: it must support relationships, movement, sightlines, and the scene's emotional function.

• Which camera directions tell the scene most clearly?
• Is there enough room for actor movement, blocking, and repeated takes?
• Which elements must remain in shot, and which may be removed?
• Which compromises genuinely change the scene, and which are simply matters of taste?
• Does the scene require privacy, quiet, control over passers-by, or closed doors?

Questions for camera and lighting: Is the look technically achievable?

Camera assesses space, light, and freedom of movement. The key question is not whether a photograph looks good, but whether the planned shots can be repeated within the actual shooting schedule.

• Which focal lengths work without bringing walls, mirrors, or restricted areas into frame?
• Where will the camera, dolly, tripod, slider, or gimbal sit during the most important shots?
• How does sunlight move at the planned shooting time, and are there harsh reflections?
• Can the windows be blacked out, diffused, or opened without risking damage?
• Where can lights, stands, cables, sandbags, and power distribution be placed safely?
• Is the available power sufficient, and who can access the fuse boards?

Questions for sound: What can you actually hear?

Sound needs quiet at the right time of day. A location may seem quiet during the recce but become unusable on the shoot day because of refrigeration, neighbours, traffic, a school, construction work, or hospitality venues.

• Which continuous noises are present: ventilation, refrigerators, heating, servers, lifts, or fluorescent lights?
• Which sounds recur periodically: refuse collection, a school, deliveries, flight paths, church bells, trains, or neighbours?
• May appliances be switched off, and who can authorise this on the shoot day?
• Are there hard surfaces, reverberation, creaking floors, or rooms that require acoustic treatment?
• Where can the sound department store and charge equipment and test radio frequencies?

Questions for the art department: What may be changed?

The art department needs clear boundaries. The location can only be used creatively if surfaces, furniture, pictures, plants, logos, private belongings, and reinstatement have been discussed in advance.

• Which pieces of furniture may be moved, who will move them, and how will they be protected?
• May anything be hung, taped, covered, rearranged, or installed temporarily?
• Which private photographs, artworks, brands, documents, or sensitive areas must not appear on camera?
• Which surfaces need protection: floors, walls, stairs, lifts, kitchens, bathrooms, or outdoor areas?
• How will the original condition be documented and signed off?

Questions for production: Can the location support the workflow?

Production translates every idea into time, movement, and responsibilities. A location is production-ready only when access, parking, holding areas, toilets, power, entry, neighbours, and host communication have been clarified.

• Where will vehicles unload, and how long may they remain there?
• Where will crew, equipment, talent, clients, catering, and, if required, a generator park?
• Which rooms will serve as the set, holding, hair and makeup, wardrobe, storage, video village, and breakout space?
• Which hours are fixed, what contingency is realistic, and who decides on overtime?
• Which neighbours, building managers, security services, or staff members need to be informed?

Safety questions: Which risks must be resolved on site?

A location recce does not replace a risk assessment, but it provides the observations needed for one. CalArts recommends visiting locations with key participants before filming and reviewing safety, access, scheduling, and shooting strategy.

• Are escape routes, stairs, handrails, trip hazards, and exits clear and serviceable?
• Will there be work at height or with water, vehicles, animals, fire, haze, hazardous substances, or special effects?
• Where are the first-aid supplies, assembly point, fire extinguishers, and emergency contact?
• Which overlaps between departments require coordination, such as lighting, cables, set construction, and public access?

Questions for the host or owner

A good host can resolve many problems early if the questions are specific. Do not ask only whether filming is possible. Ask which rules will constrain the shoot.

• Who has decision-making authority and can be reached on the shoot day?
• Which areas are off limits, private, sensitive, or accessible only with supervision?
• What rules apply to shoes, floors, walls, lifts, pets, smoking, food, and noise?
• Which photographs may be used for internal planning or later publication?
• How will handover, the deposit, damage reporting, cleaning, and final approval of reinstatement be handled?

After the recce: How to make the decision

Do not summarise the recce as a photo album. Decide with a concise traffic-light system: creatively suitable, technically feasible, acceptable for sound, approved by the art department, realistic for production, safe to plan, and contractually resolvable.

If a category is red, it needs a solution before booking. If it is amber, it belongs in the call sheet, contract, or technical plan. The location is only truly confirmed once every open point has an owner, deadline, and cost.

How SetScout helps

SetScout can speed up the location search and shortlisting process, but the recce remains the reality check. Use search to preselect suitable locations, and bring these department-specific questions before making a final enquiry or confirming the location.

The more specific your recce findings are, the stronger the contract, price, call sheet, and host communication will be.

Location recce FAQ

Who should attend a location recce?

At minimum, someone from directing, camera, production, and location management. If the shoot involves recorded dialogue, alterations, stunts, substantial equipment, or sensitive areas, sound, art department, lighting, and safety should also attend or receive a focused briefing.

How long does a good recce take?

For simple interiors, 30 to 60 minutes is often enough. Complex locations with multiple areas, exteriors, technical access, neighbours, or safety questions need longer and should not be squeezed between two appointments.

Is a location recce the same as a tech recce?

Not quite. A location recce can establish early on whether the location is broadly suitable. A tech recce usually takes place closer to the shoot and resolves technical details with the responsible department heads, the actual equipment, and the planned schedule.

What should I document after the recce?

Document photographs, floor-plan sketches, parking, power points, noise, restricted areas, contacts, outstanding approvals, risks, protective measures, and every cost or scheduling consequence. A decision without these points is not a genuine confirmation.