Location Scouting in Nollywood

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Have you ever wondered how movies get the location/houses they film in?

Nollywood, though the second biggest film industry in the world, still has to go the very traditional route of using houses and other available assets to set the mood of their movies. This is because we have not started to build our sets. I am sure you have wondered how the houses used in movies were gotten.

Did they just stumble upon the houses? How many people are asked to go and look for the locations to film in? Do they walk into the houses and just deliberate with the owners? What happens when the owner decides to change the agreement? Or pulls out of the agreement halfway during the shooting?

There are so many things that go into location scouting as this sets the tone of every movie or scene. Imagine a scary movie being shot in a dreamy house? Or an horror scene shot on a beach? The location simply does not match with the scene.

 

Every movie is a story that should capture your attention and transport you to the movie’s reality. The story line, alone, does not tell the whole story. It needs more.

 

Location scouting is an important process in the pre-production stage of film making. So what makes a place suitable for filming?

  •  Aesthetic:

Yes, this word has been overly used but it simply means beauty. The beauty of the the space. Look at it this way, if you want to film a wealthy man’s house or a scene that has to do with a form of display of wealth, you will need a location that appropriately displays what you are trying to tell the viewers. The location has to match the overall tone and idea of each scene.

  •  Cost:

This is the main aspect of location scouting that can make or break any agreement. After locating the right place, conversing with the owner, agent, or managers of the location is the next step. What it costs to use the location for the duration of the film making process and any other costs that may arise. Deciding on the cost of the location also depends on the overall budget of the production. Film makers have to consider every financial disbursement and make sure that they are not over extended on any single part.

  • Feasibility:

How far is the location from the nearest lodging? The feasibility and accessibility of the location to the base of operations and to other locations is also carefully determined. You don’t want to spend hours running from one side of the planet to another for just a 30-second scene.

  • Other necessities

Things like lighting and power are also very important. There is no film making process without lighting and power. Other visual effects irregardless, necessities are the life blood of any film making process.

A Locations Department can be created to share the views of the entire project and will make it easier to review the progress and process of the workers. It also makes it easy to solve any problems that may arise and also helps with drawing up the contractual agreement (with the legal department) for the use of the locations.

The use of Natural Sites and Resorts

Locations are not only specific to houses and lands. Places like natural reserves and tourist attractions can be used when shooting a movie to give adequate depth and originality to the film and/or scene.

Natural sites that can and have created a beautiful backdrop for Nollywood movies include;

  • Osun-Osogbo grove
  • Ngwo Pine Forest
  • Awhum Waterfall
  • Ancient Kano City Walls

Alternative to Manual Location Scouting

Because of the valuable time and energy expended when searching for the right locations, a Nigerian Startup, Filmlocations.com.ng launched an online platform that helps filmmakers “simplify the location scouting process”.  Founded by Akinwale Muse in 2016 the start-up went bust and is no longer in service.

Property owners were allowed to list their locations on the platform which easily allowed film makers browse the categories and get in touch with the owner to book the location if they wish.

Will Nollywood eventually get to the point where we will build the sets we need for our movies? The industry will evolve to that stage when the time is right. Or not.

Sources

  • thesparkng.com
  • filmlocations.com.ng
  • Wikipedia