How do gaffers prep for a shoot when they can’t do a location scout?
This post was written by Logan Reynolds.
In today’s fast-paced production environment, it’s not always possible to scout a location before your shoot. However, there are countless tools available online that can provide us with information that helps us be more prepared for shoot day.
In this video, I was approached by Jacob Christensen (JKC Video) to gaff a series of videos for a business video his company is producing. The catch is that none of the crew will have seen the location in person prior to production.
For this shoot, the location is a large house that is featured on the company’s website. I was able to obtain an idea of what the space looked like. I gained some insights into the size of the house and what direction the sun would be traveling.
I still had questions and I had to reach out and ask the client for some more information. It’s so easy to share information that there is rarely an excuse for showing up to a location unprepared.
Other helpful tools for remote video prep are Google Maps and SunSeeker. Also, I encourage everyone to ask as many questions as they need if they’re not able to be on a scout. I find people are often very willing to offer information and actually appreciate your diligence as they know you’re trying to make the project as good as it can be.
This project was a special one for many reasons but mainly because this was a Telly Award-winning project. It was an honor to work with Jacob and take part in creating such a widely recognized video.
Enjoy the lighting breakdown and feel free to comment with any questions and I will respond directly.
