Conor Deamer Television Blog: MAJOR PRODUCTION: LOCATION RECCES

Location recce's are a very important part of any films production. As much as it is important for the director to plan their shots, blocking and lighting, it is important for me as a producer to make sure everything is ready and in order for the shoot. Also, considering we originally recce'd the locations back in November but are filming in February, so I wanted to make sure all of our locations were as planned and in order.

I decided I need to research location recce's and seek some advice on some of the things that I had to consider. A recce is an essential part of the prep and research process of a producer. Carrying out recce's will arm you with the information that you can use to plan your script and filming schedule. Risk assessments also take place after the recce. Item to look out/consider during a recce:

1) Transport and Parking: Production days tend to be very drawn out, so easy access for the cast and crew is essential to make sure it runs smoothly from start to finish. Therefore, it is very important to make sure that the locations you are filming in have good parking for all production members and cast, it is open for the entire production time and is close to the physical filming location. This means I would need to make sure that if we are using public car parks, I will need to make sure they are open for the entire time we plan to be shooting to make sure it will not lock during filming.

2) Toilets - Your production team will not be able to go far without a toilet being on site. Similar to the parking, it is important to make sure if you are using public toilets they are open for the entire time of the production.

3) Space - this is an aspect that is most important for the director, they need to make sure the chosen location is big enough for the filming and all of the equipment they want to use. As a producer, the space will need to be considered in terms of health and safety regulations, making sure that there is enough room for the amount of cast and crew members that will be there, without the risk of anyone coming to harm.

4) Power - It is important to note in the locations whether there is a power source on site, some of the equipment will require a direct power source or you may need to charge the batteries for the cameras. This is a preparation instance that in the case that the location has no source of power, you need to make sure that the assistants/director have all the cameras etc fully charged with charged spare batteries.

5) Hazards - As a producer, I will be the one completing each risk assessment for each location. When at a location recce, you need to take note of absolutely anything that could be considered as a risk. It will also be very helpful to take photos of any risks or just the location as a whole, because you can use these to help when completing the risk assessment.

In lieu of this research, I thought I would create my own location recce/checklist sheet that I can bring along to each one. This will help me because it is based off my research and will aid me in efficiently knowing everything I need to know at each location, as the producer. In this way I can bring these sheets with me when completing the risk assessments. I made sure to take a few photos of each location, making sure I knew what they looked like and exactly where were filming.