Due diligence is key and that's what Locality does best.
Locality’s main job is to make sure that the property owner is fully aware of the production's intentions so there are no surprises.
You need an agency that knows how to best protect your assets.
Locality has been running for over 25 years and is firmly established as a leading location library in the United Kingdom.
We are trusted by hundreds of home owners and companies to ensure that letting film makers and photographers onto your property will be financially rewarding and as hassle free as possible.
Locality receives hundreds of enquiries a week from all types of creative people and we pride ourselves with quick responses so you don’t miss out.
We are a first port of call for many location managers which is why our locations have appeared in many iconic franchises such as, James Bond, Mission Impossible, Star Wars, Fast & Furious, Call the Midwife, The Crown and Harry Potter. Just check out our credits page.
Locality will protect your interests, by assessing script pages and synopsis we ensure what's being shot at your property is within the realms of your ethics and you decide whether you want to be associated with the production.
Locality is a member of the London Filming Partnership initiative set up by Film London. We have sat on the committees for the Guild of Location Managers and work in close association with amongst others Creative England, British Film Institute (BFI), Women in Film and Television, Location Managers Guild International (LMGI), Associated Producers Association, BECTU and The Production Guild.
Hiring your property can be very lucrative.
As a guideline, a normal sized house or flat is about £1,800 to £2,500 for a twelve hour day.
Country estates and multi-space sites can earn £5,000 to £10,000 a twelve hour day.
Locality will assess your property and come up with a fee structure that works for you and is within the market value.
As each project is unique, the Locality team will quote a location hire fee on many factors:
Type of production
Number of hours needed.
How many people are on site?
What the action is, whether stunts are involved.
Appearing on the big screen creates fantastic PR and marketing opportunities. Location tourism is big business with fans keen to visit the locations seen in iconic film and TV classics. It can provide compelling external marketing opportunities and can even increase the value of your home.
No, there is no joining fee or hidden charges.
Locality works on commission. We deduct a percentage of the agreed location hire fee.
Our commission is variable between 10% and 25% depending upon the amount of liaison your property requires.
Honestly anything, just look at the last thing you watched, did it involve a dingy hotel room? A scene beside a hospital bed? A murder in a car park? A family talking around a dining table? A teenager sulking in their room? A wasteground to dump a body?
Sometimes a production doesn’t want to film, they also require:
We also find locations for events like Facebook's Summer Party, so maybe you have a field in a beautiful location?
We don’t take on all properties though, we select the ones that are serviceable to the production's needs.
Film-making involves many people, the smallest crews can involve 2 people, the largest over 150 people.
This means the property has to have room for:
the crew behind the camera.
somewhere for the actors to wait (commonly known as a greenroom).
Parking (also known as a unit base)
Not everything has to have water, heating or electricity as the production can supply it, in fact having a derelict or vacant property is often a bonus.
Productions generally work on short lease periods which is perfect for filling those rent voids, periods in between development or planning permission.
Filming can range from one day to 8 weeks, photo shoots are usually daily, events range from a few days to a few weeks.
If you are worried about business rates we can advise you.
Locality agents are always on hand to guide you through the filming process, answer your questions and listen to your concerns.
Our office is manned 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday and all calls answered out of hours.
It is paramount that you and the production have a positive experience and Locality's agents strive to uphold good location management.
Locality is a full service location agency, we handle:
Location Management
We make sure that the production has
Comprehensively filled out an intentions form detailing all aspects of entry to your property.
Security in place
Health and safety risk assessments
Public liability insurance (£10 million for filming & events and £5 million for photoshoots).
Locality provides you with support whilst the production is on site.
We check in with you to ensure the shoot is running smoothly and on time.
We will be on the end of the phone to deal with any concerns you may have
We can supply personnel to help you manage the access.
Paperwork
Locality will draw up a comprehensive contract/location hire agreement, providing you with complete protection. This is signed by the property owner and the production company.
Finance
Locality will invoice the production and collect payment from them.
We will send you a remittance detailing what is owed to you after commission.
Payment is made on the first day of access unless organised otherwise. If you are VAT registered we will need a VAT invoice from you before payment.
Marketing
We will promote your property on social media channels and direct mail outs. Don’t worry your address is never revealed.
Aftercare
We hope by being so conscientious that nothing goes wrong during the productions time at your property but accidents do happen. We ask you to complete a sign off sheet to detail any damages, overtime and costs you need covered. We will then liaise with the production and if necessary arrange cleaning and repairs.
Filming is a strange beast but lucky for you our experience means we can foresee eventualities and will always be on hand to answer your concerns and protect your interests.
TIMINGS
The turnaround time is fast, at best a production will give us a month's notice but mostly it's within a few days from their initial enquiry.
Film crews work an 11 hour day with access allowed 30 minutes each side.
Hire periods Filming can range from one day to 8 weeks, photo shoots are usually daily, events range from a few days to a few weeks.
INITIAL ENQUIRY
The Locality team will contact you when your property is shortlisted or chosen by the customer.
Initial information is basic, the type of shoot, dates and rough number of people on site.
Further discussions will expose the exact nature of the project and intentions of the production.
Locality’s agents will liaise between your location contact and the production company at all times and collate information that will be discussed with you for approval.
SITE VISITS
You are expected to provide access to the location for site visits (recces). Locality can provide cover if you are unable to.
It is up to you whether you want to charge production for any time spent by yourself or staff. We just need to know that to inform the production from the get go.
Generally, the production will want to visit the site at least twice if not more.
Initial recce The location scout will want to visit the property to take photographs and see if it is serviceable. Please never discuss money with any crew member. This involves 1 to 3 people and will take 15-60 minutes depending upon the size of the site.
Directors recce If the production is interested in your property the director and art director may want to view it. This involves 2-5 people and will take 30-45 minutes depending upon the size of the site.
Technical recce this is when all of the Heads of Departments (HoD’s) get together to decide upon the set dressing, how the scene is going to be lit, how the site will be facilitated. This involves anywhere from 5 to 40 people and will take about an hour depending upon the size of your property and complexity of what is being filmed.
CONTRACTS
Locality will draw up a comprehensive contract/location hire agreement, providing you with complete protection. No access to the location is permitted without a signed contract from both the property owner and the production company.
PETS / ANIMALS
Owners are solely responsible for the care and supervision of their pets or animals. The production crew is not responsible for the welfare or safety of any pets.
PAYMENT
You will be paid on the first day of access unless otherwise agreed.
SHOOT DAY
You will have to organise someone to let the production crew in and to keep an eye on the crew. If you cannot provide personnel, Locality can organise it for you.
As exciting as it can be to have filming on your property, the crew are working to a deadline and must be left in peace to work.
If you have any concerns the protocol is to contact the location manager or phone the agent. Do not bother any other crew member or actor.
Homeowners, you should remove or lock away all irreplaceable items or items of personal value. It is rare but not unknown that items are removed by the crew thinking they are props and it can be difficult to trace and return them.
The owner should make reasonable efforts to promptly repair and restore any electricity and water facilities that break down or are lost during the access period, or be prepared to reduce the Location Hire Fee.
At the end of the shoot the owner must be present to check that the property has been left in a good condition.
The Production must always:
The production crew love a film friendly location and are likely to return if they have a positive experience.
Here are some top tips from owners on our library.
Prep the day before
Remove or lock away all irreplaceable items or items of personal value. It is rare but not unknown that items are removed by the crew thinking they are props and it can be difficult to trace and return them.
Early starts
Shoots usually start at 7am and run to 7pm, the moment they enter the property they will want to crack on so make sure all members of the household make themselves scarce before entry time.
Signage
Put no entry signs on rooms you do not want them to access. It's also useful to leave a note with the wifi network and password on it.
Locks
Leave keys with the designated location manager, including window locks in case they need to run a cable in through them.
Kitchen
Bear in mind that you may not be able to cook in your kitchen. Crews also have a habit of borrowing cutlery and crockery so please place signage to discourage them. It is very likely that they will want some space in the fridge so designating a shelf is always useful.
Stay out of the way
It can be a little unnerving to see so many people in your property so it's best to leave them to it. (Everything that the production does should have been discussed with you beforehand and noted in the contract particulars).
Remember that your property has been hired as a professional location space and you need to respect that. If you have any concerns the protocol is to contact the location manager on site or phone the agent.
As exciting it is to meet a famous face they are working, if you want a selfie or autograph ask the location manager and they should be able to arrange it for you.
Check the house thoroughly afterwards
If you are out for the day return an hour before, they should be packing up so you will be able to check the walls for scrapes and the floors for camera tape or marks made when pulling it off. Most importantly make sure that smoke detector are not covered. The rubbish should be taken away at the end of the day..
Registering is easy. Just fill out a form and send us some images.
The more images you provide the better - everything that could be of interest!
Residential homes - all rooms (include bathrooms), corridors/hallways, the view from the street, views from the property, basement, garage, garden, outhouses + floorplans
Warehouses - interiors, view from the street, views from property, lifts/loading bays + floorplans
Offices - foyer, lifts, interiors, view from the street, views from property + floorplans
Car parks - interiors + view from the street + views from property + floorplans
Land - views + interesting features + different types of terrain
If you need your property photographed we can send a photographer out but may have to charge costs. The costs will be deducted from your first booking and are dependent on travel and time spent on site.
Download and complete the Registration Form and send it with pictures of your property to https://locality.wetransfer.com/