Choosing The Best Gardens For Filming Locations

Here at Dorak Film, we are always looking for picturesque locations for various shoots. Luckily, there are plenty of such locations here in the UK. Selecting a location, arranging a calendar date (or more than one date) for filming, clearing traffic, charting air traffic patterns, studying weather patterns – all of these go into the selection of a location. We’ve found that we save a lot of time and frustration by hiring companies to arrange all of this for us. These businesses have staff who can make the phone calls, send and respond to emails, and take care of the myriad of other details that go into planning a shoot.

Connections

It pays to have connections when reserving space for filming. Sometimes, Dorak doesn’t have connections in all the right places. So, we source out a lot of our location searches. This is especially helpful when looking for great gardens with the appropriate lawn services and upkeep for filming locations. People who have beautiful gardens don’t want them trampled. Estates often spend a large portion of their upkeep budgets on their grounds, and while they may be glad to receive the fees from filming crews, they need to be reassured that no harm will come to their property.

The British Film Commission has a great service that not only provides connections to some of the finest gardens in the UK, they can even provide a crew. Their screen agencies give us all kinds of information regarding filming in every part of the UK, and even know contacts in local police departments and local government officials.

These screen agencies will negotiate with the owners of various locations, whether they be individuals, estates, corporations, or government. They can also give us information on available production facilities in those areas. They will set up accommodations too, for the crews, and scout for local talent if we need extras in the filming.

Location Managers

Finding a location manager is usually of utmost importance. These companies can provide just such a service. The British Film Commission is a great source for location managers, as are The Production Guild of Great Britain and The Guild of Location Managers.

Other Sources

There are actually libraries that list many locations available for film producers. KFTV, Kays, and Knowledge all provide directories that are updated regularly. These same libraries have directories that will make it much easier to find filming locations and liaisons to coordinate schedules.

Art Direction

Most of these sources will also provide an art director who will have experience in providing props, clothing, interior shots, and set dressing according to whichever needs you have. These companies even are available for weddings, in order to help people get the most perfect setting and photo shoot for their ceremony.Typically, a film shoot will have as many as 50 people on site at any given time, while a more simple photo shoot will have up to a dozen in attendance. At Dorak Film, we like to hire people who can coordinate all of this for seamless workdays.