ABSTRACT
The first half of this chapter concerns finding and securing locations. Often, the most mundane locations prove challenging to secure. Sometimes, it’s necessary to “cheat” a location, making one place stand in for another. In other cases, it makes more sense to build a set in a studio rather than shooting on location. When shooting in the field, it’s important both to get the permission of any stakeholders and to provide assurance that their property is protected. A location agreement can and should spell out the interests of both the production company and the property representative. Many locations, such as a busy city street or a grocery store, are replete with audiovisual elements that are protected by copyright or trademark. Among several other considerations, we must understand that copyright and trademark protect intellectual property in very different ways. While we are thinking about ways of protecting ourselves, we examine the several forms of insurance that might come into play on a production. The chapter closes with some words of caution about handling heavy equipment.
