How it works.
If you think that your house/flat/apartment/mansion/bach might work as a location and you are keen to list it with me, then get in touch here with a brief description and a few photos.
Then if I think it is suitable,I will contact you and make a time to visit and take some more photos.
Then when I get a project that matches up with your place I will send photos to my clients and get in touch with you to see about availability. Then at some stage pretty soon after that, I will probably bring the director and producer around for a quick look.
If they also like the look of it, they will present it to the advertising agency and the client for final approval.
There will be one more visit – a “tech reccy” – prior to the shoot so that we can work out exactly what we need to do in terms of lighting and camera etc.
What makes a
good location?
That depends entirely on the brief for a particular project. I get asked for everything from state houses to stately homes and everything in between. From student flats to granny flats, basements to penthouses.
Mostly though, for advertising purposes, what's needed are “average kiwi houses”.
We like “lived-in” character.
Access is important too. Good parking for trucks, vans and other vehicles close by is pretty essential, and preferably not on a main road. Also we are not keen on too many steps.
We need to have room to work, there can be upwards of 40 crew and equipment, so ideally the more space the better.
What happens
“on the day”?
Obviously every shoot is different, but there are a few things you need to know.
There may be upwards of 40 people in your house.
We usually arrive quite early – say 7.00am.
We tend to work a 10 hour day, sometimes a bit longer.
We will most likely use the whole house, even rooms that we are not shooting in may get used for make up and wardrobe.
There will be a Location Manager on the crew whose job it is to look after your place, liaise with your neighbours and make sure everything is left exactly as we find it.
If the shoot is for more than one day, we may put you up at a nearby hotel, overnight. Or if we need to film in the evening then we will shout you dinner at a local restaurant.
What do I get paid?
Again, this depends on the particular project. The types of project that I work on usually pay about $2,000.00 per day for an average house. However it can be more and sometimes a bit less. A normal shoot day is 10 hours, but extra hours can be negotiated.
What about damage?
In the unlikely event that any damage occurs, the film company will put everything right as stated in the Location Agreement, that you and they will sign. This contract also has the the companies insurance details.