| Q. Why register with Midlands Locations?
A.Midlands Locations are in regular contact with Directors, Designers, Location Managers and Scouts, Production Managers, Producers, Photographers and Researchers looking for locations to use for filming in the region. With a wealth of knowledge of the filming industry we can advise media professionals on the locations within the library and find the perfect location for filming or stills photography.
Q. What type of property is suitable for filming?
A. There is always a demand for a wide variety of properties and businesses and Midlands Locations look forward to handling any queries about the suitability of a location to be included in the Library. Our library includes penthouse loft apartments and rural farmhouses alike so if in doubt please contact us on 0845 045 0608. It must be said that there is a constant demand for houses with large 'knocked through' kitchen / dining rooms or living room / dining rooms which give that extra space for cast, crew and equipment.
Q. How much Can I earn hiring out my property or business?
A. This depends entirely on the production and the extent of the filming to be done and can vary from hundreds to thousands of pounds a day. Stills photography shoots will not earn you as much but are far less disruptive than films or TV filming.
Q. Do I have to pay a fee to register with Midlands Locations?
A. ABSOLUTELY NOT. Midlands Locations does not charge a fee to have your property or business included in the Library. On your behalf we will promote your property, vet potential hirers, arrange viewings, negotiate hire fees, handle the legal contract and insurance and ensure that you are paid on the day of filming. We do however have a referral fee which is paid to us by the production company. We always negotiate the maximum location fee on your behalf.
Q. How do I register my property with Midlands Locations?
A. We need you to fill out the registration form on the Register property page. Images of your property can either be emailed to info@midlandslocations.co.uk or sent on a disk in the post. Any registration queries please contact us on 0845 045 0608.
Q. Can I register more than one property or business?
A. YES, certainly, you can register as many properties as you like withMidlands Locations. Each individual location will have a unique barcode registration so we ask that you fill in a registration form for each individual property.
Q. Will my personal information be secure?
A. YES. No personal information on any of the properties or businesses in the library are available to anyone other than Midlands Locations staff. The location library will only display a barcode ID for your property or business and any personal information is secured offline.
Q. What sort of photos do you need of my property?
A. We would like to see both interior and exterior photos and also kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom, bedrooms and any other interesting features that you think will impress potential hirers. We recommend that internal photos should be taken without the use of a flash ideally with as much natural light as possible. We like to see photos taken from opposite sides of each room usually taken from the corners.
Q. What format do I need to take the photos in?
A. We request that photos are taken in landscape format. Digital photos should be a minimum of 640 x 480 resolution. Don't worry if you don't have a digital camera, even disposable cameras are fine and can be developed with images on a disk that you can email or send to us for inclusion in the library. Most high street photographers offer this service. We just need to get a general impression of the look and feel of your property.
Q. How many photos do you need to see?
A. We require to see a minimum of nine photos for our display purposes but as many as you would like to send us and we can display your property or business to its maximum potential.
Q. Would you like to see floor plans of our property?
A. ABSOLUTELY we would like to see an estate agents floor plan, if possible, or a sketch of the property layout with room sizes to give an overall view of how film friendly your property is. It is a huge help to producers and directors to get an overall layout of a property when looking at images of potential locations.
Q. What happens when I have sent photos toMidlands Locations and completed the registration form and agreement form?
A. Once we have received your registration form and agreement form we can include images of your property or business in the location library for potential hirers to view.
Q. How will a film company or photographer find out about my property?
A. We are dealing with enquiries for all manner of properties and if we have an enquiry that we think suits your property or business we will contact you with details of the production or photo shoot to see if you are interested. If you are interested we can arrange for the potential hirer to view your property. You will always be contacted by Midlands Locations to arrange a time for a potential hirer to view your property and we will not give out your details to a third party at this stage.
Q. WillMidlands Locations vet any potential production companies wishing to view my property?
A.Yes, Midlands Locations have a database of media professionals and all of our hirers will be vetted prior to viewing any of the locations in the library.
Q. What happens when a film company or photographer comes to visit my property to see if it is suitable for their production or shoot?
A. These visits are called 'recces' and usually the first recce will be the Director, Designer, Producer and Location Manager. They will look at the property and make brief notes as to its suitability and may be required to take interior / exterior photos for reference.
Q. What happens after the first recce?
A. The production company may be looking at various other properties so it may take them a day or so to make a decision as to where is the most suitable location to use for their project. Northwest Locations will get back in touch with you as soon as possible and let you know if they would like to use your property for filming or photography.
Q. If a production company or photographer is interested in using my property what happens next?
A. Midlands Locations would agree a suitable fee for the use of your property or business and confirm that you are happy with the terms and conditions of the use of your property.Midlands Locations Media Lawyers would issue a contract between yourself 'the property owner' and the production company or photographer wishing to use your property. Midlands Locations would ensure that the production company have valid Public Liability insurance. We will issue a copy of our terms and conditions for location owners and also for production companies wishing to hire locations at this stage.
Q. When all the legal paperwork is done what happens then?
A. When Midlands Locations are happy that the location hire contract and insurance are in place a filming itinerary is arranged. The film crew will be required to do another recce with more personnel including cameramen and lighting technicians. You will have a full itinerary of when the crew may require access to your property for filming.
Q. How many people are involved in filming and photography?
A. Feature film crews tend to be large and you can expect up to around 40 crew at any one time. Television drama and commercials crews will be slightly smaller and photographers tend to work in a team of just a few.
Q. What should I do on the day of filming?
A. The film crew will have an early start on the day and the technicians will expect to be able to work in your property or business with ease. It is vital the areas being used for filming are clean and tidy and not cluttered. The crew will expect to be able to work in the property uninterrupted and will require the telephone to be unplugged and no unnecessary interference or noise.
Q. What happens if something gets accidentally damaged?
A. The legal contract is in place to cover the location owner and the location hirer for every eventuality. The contract stipulates that your property will be returned to how it was before filming or photography and should anything get damaged it will be repaired to your satisfaction or replaced. Often with filming the crew will hire the property for a day after filming is complete to re-instate the property.
Q. When will I get paid for filming or photography?
A. Midlands Locations insist that properties or businesses in the library that are used for filming or photography are paid within 2 weeks of the date of filming.
We hope we have answered most of your questions and given you a step by step guide of registration with Midlands Locations and the filming process throughout but should you have any other questions we look forward to helping in any way we can. Contact us on 0845 045 0608 Or email info@midlandslocations.co.uk |
