When it comes to creating effective marketing content like videos or photos, making sure you have the right shoot location is a vital piece of the success equation. Yet, tracking down just the right spot can feel like an almost overwhelming task. Unless you work with one of the professional location agencies, you will find below. Just read on to find out more.
If you are looking for a supremely easy-to-use locations website that displays the location distance from central London under every well-taken photo, then Locations Direct is perfect. Filter your locations by grid, which shows a single photo or by row, which gives you a good taster of what you can expect from each property, with four images displayed and then the ability to click into the listing to see even more! You can even do detailed searches by area and categories, too, which means you can further refine your search to find exactly what you want.
Oh, and Locations Direct’s tag function in their search bar means you can get down to the granular level when you are looking for a property, as you are able to search by features such as bay windows, Aga cookers, and even futuristic style.
One of the reasons that Locations Direct is so popular with marketing agencies and film companies alike is that it offers dual booking flexibility. What this means is that, unlike other agencies, when you choose Locations Direct, you can either book directly with the property owner or have the agency manage booking for you. The main benefits of this are that you can choose the style of cooking that best meets your needs. For example, a smaller shoot may choose to deal with the property owner themselves, while those running a larger shoot, or with specific needs, can choose the ease of having Locations Direct manage their booking, scheduling, and suitability checking for them.
Click on the Shootfactory website link, and you will find a modern and aesthetic website with the option to search across London with a detailed visual map. This makes seeing what is available in the area in which you need a space very easy and convenient.
However, it is worth noting that Shootfactory has considerably fewer locations on its books than many of the other agencies in this post. They also only provide properties and shoots in the London area, so if you are looking for somewhere further afield, then they may not be the best option.
A major strength of ShootFactory is that its customer service is excellent. In fact, when you choose them, you can expect fast responses and helpful experts who are only too happy to find exactly what you are looking for.
The next location agency that you should consider for your marketing production needs is Lavish Locations. First of all, they can have a clear and easy-to-use website that allows you to log in and create a list of favourites for your own portfolio, which makes managing possible options much easier.
They are also expert-led led which means if you need something in particular, you can contact one of their specialists who can help you track it down. Another thing about their website is the scrolling carousel of all the products they have provided locations for, which shows you that they have plenty of experience dealing with the big players in the form industry.
You can use their search bar to find the properties you are looking for, and this includes searching by postcode. Although there are also search filters that allow you to look by age of property, whether they have outside spaces, what the interior or exterior style is, as well as the building type. They also have a filter category that lets you search for locations that are exclusive to Lavish Locations, so you can easily see the options that only they can provide.
Film offices are based in London and offer a mix of both private property locations and locations that come under local authority jurisdiction. Indeed, Film Offices are well known for their excellent connections with local authorities throughout London, which can make filming in these locations so much easier.
Additionally, Film Office has an impressive list of former clients from the BBC, Netflix, and Vogue to Apple TV and even Adidas. They also prioritise ethical and sustainable practices, including committing to being carbon neutral and paying their employees a living wage.
Film Office’s search facility is through the Film Hub website, which can feel a little strange as you get redirected from their main website to Film Hub’s. Although it's worth noting that Film Hubs search tools, including locations with curated themes, can cut down a significant amount of work for those looking for a location, as they have options including Office, Law, Industrial, Period and even Gangster to choose from!
Supersourt is quite different to many of the other options here in that it's more like a Pinterest-style board where you can collate your own location selections. Of course, this is great news for anyone looking to make the whole process of managing potential properties much easier. Also, their detailed map integration makes it easy to search in a certain place, as well as work out just how far away a location is from other key areas, such as motorways and crew accommodation. Lastly, Superscout can be used securely and easily between teams, making it the ideal choice for both large and small marketing productions.
Whether you are crafting social ads, filming product launches, creating website hero videos or recording corporate brand films, choosing the right location matters. Use an agency like the ones mentioned above to make this vital task so much faster and easier.