Renting an Expensive House

M

MartyMcfly

Hi all,

Thank you for reading! I am trying to rent a mansion location and have tried everything from contacting realtors to contacting city officials. The thing is, i have yet to get a no, instead i get people who have no idea who to talk to or no response at all.

To be fair i have no insurance and the locations are usually quite big or expensive(mansions, abandoned malls, etc.).

What tips or advice do you guys have for renting a location?

-Marty
 
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Find a place that you like, walk up to the door - or entrance gate or whatever - and ask for a very brief appointment with the owner. Be very polite, courteous, etc. Tell them briefly but concisely what you want to do, how many people, how long it will take etc., and your preferences for shooting dates, though of course you will work around their schedule. You can offer to film a baptism, birthday party, etc. in exchange. If the script is conducive to it they and/or their kids can be extras. The worst you can get is a no. The best you can get is they like your cojones and say yes.

The director/producer of one project on which I worked did just that and the owner was so impressed by his professionalism and manners he even invested a little in the project, and offered his offices and warehouse as locations.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
You don't look into it, you do it. It's all up to you; you have to be a star and a great salesman.
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i think you may have misunderstood me. all i have been doing is attempting direct communication with people at the top of the chain. as i said, they either ignore my request or forward me to someone who also is oblivious.

i am past 'looking into' anything and am trying to take action but when you are talking big properties you usually need a realtor to even get to the front door..

thanks for your advice.
 
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Sweetie said:
Find another house. I'm sure there are more than one "decent" location in the world that suits your film.
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Completely agree. In the last two weeks ive probably messaged/called around 20 different locations so i am definitely not just attempting to rent 'one' location.

My questions is focused on renting locations in general.
 
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You may not be offering sufficient remuneration (in whatever form they desire the most) to outweigh the potential risk.

Gaining locations, dealing with owners and occupants is a skill/artform in itself. It's something that it sounds like you'll have to learn over time.

The best piece of advice I can offer is to look at the situation from their viewpoint. One point to know. These people are likely to be either rich or very well off. What might motivate you won't mean anything to them. Each person is different and recognizing what motivates people is a skill that can take a lifetime to master.

May be time to bite the bullet and hire a proper location scout.

Alternatively, talk to your local film commission. They often have lists of properties that are willing to "rent" to filmmakers.
 
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MartyMcfly said:
In the last two weeks ive probably messaged/called around 20 different locations so i am definitely not just attempting to rent 'one' location.
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Then you've only just started. You need to call 20 more. And then
another 20.

MartyMcfly said:
My questions is focused on renting locations in general.
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In general renting a specific location takes a lot of foot-work. No
matter what it is finding the right one for the price you can afford
takes time and effort. Now you understand a little better what the
locations people go through. One major difference is the experienced
locations person has a list of places they have use in the past. But
when they are given the challenge of finding something they don't
already know of they "hit-the-bricks" and make hundreds of calls
and drive hundreds of miles.

Since you are acting as the locations manager you will need to make
all the calls - and "around 20" isn't enough as you have found out.
 
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I suggest you to try looking for possible filming locations on online film location listing sites because the site administrators easily contact the owners of the property. So you don't have to go everywhere just to see if the locations are possible to be rented because they won't post their properties if you can't rent it out. There is also this possible mansion you were looking for that you can rent for your film. Just visit their site at: http://5401olympic.com and surely, you will like it!
 
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Remember that you can use a PHOTOGRAPH of a mansion (ANY mansion) for the outside of your house, and the inside can be an entirely different location. I've rented a room in motels/hotels and then used their (elaborate) grounds for various projects...check out the lobby, the pool areas, gardens, etc etc. There are often sitting rooms just off the lobby which are quite elaborate, complete with a fireplace, paintings, lush curtains, etc...especially if you shoot at 3am.
 
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