Many people seek the most ideal locations for their films and this can be really essential for your whole project. You should make a list of things that you need from a filming location. In many cases, you can do the production process in a well-equipped studio, but at other times, it is better to work outdoor. You need to hunt for the best available location and compile the most promising ones. You should know that it is very rare that you are able to continue with the filming process in a single location. However, with the availability of good editing software and creative techniques, you don’t have to shoot your scenes in too many locations. Keep a journal of interesting buildings, houses, parks, beaches, forests, cemeteries and other locations. You may need to have a few pictures of each location, which can be correlated with scenes in your scripts. There are often a few candidate locations for a scene in your script and you need to know what a location can remind you about.  As an example, a western film will often require arid terrain, but some cowboy films actually use snowy regions, near the Canadian border, like the film Cold Mountain.

You should know there are financial consequences of each filming location. If you have a low-budget independent film project, you need to be sensible with your script, methods and filming locations. A decent location should be able to convey the real essence of your settings. In some cases, you need to create background and settings from scratch, especially if they are about virtual locations and unique building sets. You may also need to work with skilled location scout who is known for his ability to recommend the best location, based on details of your scene. With the right kind of location, you should be able to realize the illusions of realism and authenticity. However, there are basic factors that should be available in a filming location. As an example, no matter how beautiful a filming location is, it should have a large enough room to accommodate all the equipment and crew. Unpacking, using and packing camera, sound and lighting equipments could require a large amount of room. The area should be protected against bad weather and it needs to be secured against possible cases of thefts.

Some scenes often require more flexible camera movements and there should be enough room to allow the cameras to freely move around. For better stability, you need to lay a track for the camera and you should make sure that you have a flat surface to do that. If you have chosen a location, you need to validate its viability. Take measurements of everything in the location. The location should also be evaluated for proper sound recording. As an example, recording dialogues can be tricky in areas near big airport and elevated train tracks, because it will be loud regularly. It means that you need to observe a location for its average noise level.