Imagine you and your whole team show up to a location, ready for a long shoot day. Except there's nowhere to park, no power, and it turns out you never secured filming permission because the required paperwork hasn't been filled out. This nightmare scenario could be avoided by conducting a simple technical scout, or tech scout, in advance of shooting.
The tech scout is a vital part of the pre-production process, whether you are filming in a forest or woodland, at a beach location, or in a medieval village.
In this article, we dig into the details of the process, who should be involved, and the key questions you need to ask while conducting a tech scout.
Contents:
A tech scout is essentially a site visit to your filming location, where the team assess the location's suitability from a technical perspective, taking into account factors such as power supply, accessibility, parking, and potential weather conditions. This evaluation prior is critical for identifying logistical challenges prior to shooting and ensuring that the location meets the production's needs.
The tech scout bridges the gap between the creative vision of the director and the practical realities of filming. Without a thorough tech scout process, a location shoot could bring about unforeseen complications that might derail production.
During the tech scout phase, the location manager or scouts collaborate with various department heads, including the cinematographer, sound engineer, and production designer, to gather insights and formulate an exhaustive checklist for filming.
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Skipping a tech scout can lead to unforeseen issues that may delay the production or blow out the budget. By conducting a thorough walk-through of the location, the production team can preemptively address potential problems, such as a lack of power supply, inconvenient sound disturbances, or inadequate space for equipment and crew.
Ideally, every head of department who is involved in prepping the film location will be there. This usually involves the following members of the production team:
Each person involved can use the scout to gain a better understanding of the location for their own area of responsibility and how it can be used effectively for production.
The size of the tech scout crew can vary based on the production's scale, ranging from a small team of 3-5 people for smaller projects to upwards of 15 for larger productions.
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The location manager's first job is to scout potential filming locations (either virtually or in person) and bring their findings to the production team to shortlist locations. Once a location is selected, you can schedule a tech scout for the team.
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A well-conducted tech scout can save time, money, and stress. It enables the crew to enter production days fully prepared, and reduces the likelihood of encountering unexpected obstacles. The insights gained from a tech scout are invaluable in creating a seamless shooting experience, where every aspect of the location is optimised for the production's needs.
SuperScout is your own private location library – upload locations in minutes, tag them with ai in seconds, then search and share with your team
