Film Location Questions

L

LazyScout

Hey everyone, I have a few research questions for you guys.

What kind of film locations are the hardest to find and rent?

What is a reasonable (per hour) rate you would pay to get the perfect location for your scene?

What percentage of your budget do you allocate to renting locations?

I know most indie film makers don't have the budget to purchase insurance and most locations for rent require insurance. Would you be interested in renting locations from LazyScout if we insured every location that you book?

We want to create a website that will not only make location scouting easier and more convenient, but we want our product to be focused around you. We want to help you make better films and get the most out of your budget by giving you access to the locations around you.

Cheers!

- Phil
www.lazyscout.com
 
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I have just been looking for public liability insurance in England, I was amazed that it costs less then my car insurance for £5,000,000 of insurance.
I don't know if it helps you but anything to do with the council and buildings they own is a nightmare where I am, They have to carry out Health and Safety reports every time you apply to use anything of theirs..... even if you have used it before.
 
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LazyScout said:
What kind of film locations are the hardest to find and rent?
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Hospitals, police stations, court rooms.

LazyScout said:
What is a reasonable (per hour) rate you would pay to get the perfect location for your scene?
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This, of course, depends on the budget. Some are looking for
free but might be able to come up with a $100/$200 for a day.
Some will be willing to pay more for the perfect location. I
don't know that there is an overall reasonable (per hour) rate
that would apply to all locations and all filmmakers. For argument,
say $10 per hour.

LazyScout said:
What percentage of your budget do you allocate to renting locations?
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I have never budgeted that way. Sorry I can't help with this. The
percentage of the total budget will vary wildly. The percentage of
my budget for the western is so much more than for the cabin
in the woods horror.

LazyScout said:
I know most indie film makers don't have the budget to purchase insurance and most locations for rent require insurance. Would you be interested in renting locations from LazyScout if we insured every location that you book?
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Since there is a cost, I suspect you would have to pass some of
that cost to the filmmaker. Like equipment rental houses do. But
I think that would give you a competitive edge for sure.

LazyScout said:
We want to create a website that will not only make location scouting easier and more convenient, but we want our product to be focused around you. We want to help you make better films and get the most out of your budget by giving you access to the locations around you.
Click to expand...
The only problem I see in this is you not being local. I have never
thought of going to an out of state location scout. However, if it's
cheaper to get what I need in Austin and you are in Chicago then
it might not matter.
 
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Thank you all for the feedback. Just to clarify, we are not a location scouting company. We are creating a peer-to-peer community for location sharing. We are like Airbnb/Wimdu for film, photo, and event locations. So therefore we are not limited to one area or city. Our service will be nationwide and you will be able to book locations directly online. Anyone can list a location for rent, this extends to restaurants, bars, hospitals, factories, etc.. and you will be able to find locations in cities all over the US (and eventually internationally). We will be launching very soon and I appreciate your feedback. We want to build the best product possible and build it based on your needs. Our goal is to promote convenience and inspire creativity. Check us out and please stay in touch! Thanks everyone!

- Phil
www.lazyscout.com
 
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Phil_UK said:
Hey Phil,

I am Phil too :)

So the plan is to expand internationally too?
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Hi Phil! Nice to meet you! We absolutely plan to expand internationally once we get off the ground here in the US. Please keep in touch! I would love the opportunity to network with you and hear your thoughts when we plan our expansion into the UK! Thank you again for checking out the site and following us! Cheers!

- Phil
www.lazyscout.com
 
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LazyScout said:
Thank you all for the feedback. Just to clarify, we are not a location scouting company.
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In that case my only feedback would be your website is confusing.
You say on the site; “Your New Location Scout” which led me to
believe that you were a location scout.

I love the peer-to-peer idea. I just didn't get that from your site.

I've signed up.
 
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Screenshots

I want to thank all of you that replied and showed interest in our startup. My goal is to get it right, and build a site that will be a useful resource especially to filmmakers. We want to open doors to locations of all types and styles to inspire better films, photos, and events, as well as help our hosts earn additional income from their unused and underused spaces. I would like to share a few screenshots of what you can expect from our site. Your feedback is encouraged.

Please check out www.lazyscout.com and click on the "Screenshot" tab.
 
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I would like to share a few screenshots of what you can expect from our site.
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Are these actual locations you have available, or examples of how your site will be structured? It's a bit unclear, with your site still in the works.

I think it's a great idea, btw, and an invaluable tool for scouting if it's as simple as it looks. :cool:
 
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Yea really great idea...I have had friends toy with the idea for just the NYC area. Are you trying to build a national site? Because that's a huge task to start.


Good idea I thought of was: you can allow people to post there apartments, cars, and other value resource that they don't mind putting up for rental. Make them pay monthly fee and have an opintional insurance fee, since the filmmaker usually would pay for this. You would have to do the research to see if it is of any actually value.
 
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Thanks for the feedback.

@SeymoreMcFly: We will be launching first in SF, LA, and NY. But we will eventually be live nationally. We are currently in the process of obtaining seed and first found funding from angels and VC's. We don't charge a monthly fee, we only charge a service fee when you book a location. We also plan to offer insurance for our hosts.

Thanks again for checking us out!!

- Phil
 
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Hey! The middle is the best part of the Oreo! Why doesn't Chicago ever get any love?
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Dreadylocks said:
Hey! The middle is the best part of the Oreo! Why doesn't Chicago ever get any love?
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@Dreadlylocks! You're absolutely right. I'm going to make it a point to stop into Chicago on my way to NY and talk to potential hosts about listing their locations. We will be running campaigns throughout the East Coast. Thank you for your feedback. I promise we won't forget about Chicago! Cheers!

- Phil
 
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I had a tough time with train stations. They wanted me to pay $300 for filming in the one I wanted. I played the poor student card and got it for free.But there where still many complications after that and even when we did follow the rules we ended up getting banned and I have to do Pick Ups there next week! Filming on trains and train stations is tricky, noisy and expensive.
 
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