Have you ever thought of being a location scout or manager?

Location Scouts and Location Managers

Do any of these jobs interest you in having a career in film? Read on and let me know your thoughts on being an art director, location scout, or location manager. All three jobs place you right in the film industry—right on the set, working with the producer and director.

Location Scouting: A True Art Form

Location scouts get hired early in the pre-production phase of making a movie. Location scouts or location managers work with the art director and director to find the ideal location for a particular shot in a film scene.

Nathan works all over the world as a location scout. “You are trying to interpret the script while finding the right location that can make all the difference in the movie.”

He makes the director’s job easy because he finds the environment suitable for the story. A location scout finds the house for the perfect location to shoot the scene. It makes all the difference in the world to be sharp and intuitive as a location scout.

The Ingenuity of the Location Scout

While it’s true that the art director and director get all the credit, it all starts with the ingenuity of the location scout.

The location scout will find the location for the director and then get the director’s approval. Usually, when the film goes into production, the location scout will switch hats and become the location manager.

Location Scout Salaries

A location scout is a glamorous job, but the pay is not outstanding. On average, an independent contractor location scout makes around $81,000 to $111,000 a year.

Location scouts who work for a production company will make about half of what an independent contractor does, but working for a production company guarantees a steady paycheck.

Do Location Scouts Travel?

Some reports on the internet state that location scouts travel around the world. If they work for a production company, of course, that could be true. But most location scouts work in their local area.

If they are independent contractors, they work in their local region.

One particular scout works in the Northern California area and rarely travels. He would only if a former client asked him to scout for production outside of his jurisdiction, but that was very rare.

Financially, it is easier for a production company to hire a local scout because they are familiar with the area.

There are times when a production company cannot hire a local scout because no local scout is available in the area. Then it would make sense to hire one the company has worked with before since they have an established rapport and work ethic.

Scout to Manager

Some location scouts stay with the production after scouting and become the location manager. The reason for this is that a location scout often helps with permits and other city regulations for the production even before filming begins.

Since the location scout is familiar with the locations and working permits, it makes sense that the production company keeps them on the payroll.

The location manager handles all the logistics of using the location, such as permits and approval from local governments. Whenever problems arise on-site, it’s the location manager’s responsibility to handle them.

Such things that could arise are noise control or crowd control. Even when the electricity goes out, the location manager quickly remedies the problem.

They are responsible for ensuring that filming can continue at that location—because time is money in film production.

Being a location manager is a bit tense at times. Nathan is an independent contractor, and he has a lot of freedom. “I am pretty much my own boss.”

Location Scouts Work With The Artistic Director

Art directors work closely with the production designer. Together with the location scout, they design the physical environment of the film set. Their job is to create the mood that the script dictates to the director.

Art directors supervise many different people in the production, such as illustrators, scenic designers, model makers, carpenters, painters, electricians, laborers, set decorators, costume designers, animal makers, and makeup and hairstyling artists.

Art directors are architects or come up through the ranks of theater designers or set designers. It is not uncommon to hear how an art director favored carpentry or stagecraft in school.

After finding the location and working with the location manger, the artistic director molds any area and turn it into what gives life to the characters and energy to the story. They take an exterior location of a building and match the interior of the same building on a soundstage.

They stay on top of the latest techniques for creating any visual look the producer, director, or production designer needs to ensure the movie’s success.

Getting a Job in Hollywood

Any one of these positions provides an entry to the motion picture industry, whether in a major city or on location. You can move up to being an art director, production designer, or even a director from these positions.

Many begin these jobs in theater productions, move to film and television, and then move back and forth between the stage, film, and TV.

For these people, happiness is working in the entertainment field and making a living at what they like to do best—creating an environment that helps tell a story and make it real for the audience.