Where to Find a Location Scout in Los Angeles

Location scouting is a crucial part of any film production or photoshoot, in Los Angeles and beyond. In fact, hiring a location management team or a locations scout in Los Angeles is often one of a producer’s first orders of business. 

Luckily, you can be your own location scout when you have resources like Peerspace at your fingertips. Peerspace is the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals and serves as an invaluable platform for finding and renting unique spaces.

When it comes to film productions, most big-budget scripts have anywhere from 30 locations on the low end to 100 or more locations on the high end. And all of these locations need to be found, negotiated, and have shooting dates scheduled. These are all the typical tasks the location scout is responsible for.  

If you’re directing and producing a smaller-budget production, you may have to do the location scouting yourself. But don’t sweat it. We conceived this guide to help you know where to find a location scout in Los Angeles. We’ve also included some great places to start looking for locations as well.

Start with a do-it-yourself approach

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Source: Peerspace

We’re going to start with the DIYers. If you want to do things the old-fashioned way — on foot with a camera — Los Angeles is a wonderful jungle to get lost in. 

It can be extremely rewarding as a director/producer to scout your locations yourself if you have the time. Scouting requires many of the same skills a director uses to get the shot right: seeing a location in terms of the mechanics of getting a shot.

Some basic tips if you’re planning to scout your own picture: 

  • Scout locations at the time of day you plan to shoot
  • Take copious pictures, and take a 360° video walkthrough
  • Take copious notes: Where will people park? Where will makeup and dressing be set up?
  • Note potential roadblocks, such as properties that become unusable in inclement weather, or properties with difficult or pushy neighbors
  • Note any sources of ambient background noise or echo

Tip: If you’re seriously considering a location, tour the site with the owner. They’ll be able to answer tons of questions, which will save you headaches later on. And, it will make you feel better prepared when you negotiate a filming contract.

New to location scouting? Here’s everything you need to know about this important and fascinating role!

Try Los Angeles film location websites

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Source: Peerspace

If you don’t have all the time in the world, the simplest way to find locations these days, by far, is to begin online. Some great places to begin include:

Peerspace

Peerspace makes it easy to find locations for photo and film shoots in cities across the globe. Featuring thousands of production locations in Los Angeles, our unique platform simplifies the process of location scouting, making it easy to find and book spaces by the hour or day.

Peerspace listings have thorough descriptions, along with ample photographs, to let you really see the space you’re interested in booking in advance. You can also pore through reviews from other photographers and filmmakers who have shot there in the past. These honest reviews let you know what it was like to work at the particular location, as well as about the helpfulness of the location’s owner and staff.

Further, all Peerspaces are owned by local hosts, many of whom are already in the industry and make it easy to rent equipment on-site and have connections to various other contractors. Make sure to thoroughly read the listings to see what extra services the location provides, as every extra bit of help can be a lifesaver when you’re an indie filmmaker.

We’ll share information about real-life production spaces in Los Angeles that you can rent through Peerspace later in the article.

LocoScout 

LocoScout is specifically aimed at helping location scouts find publicly owned shooting locations. Public parks, school gymnasiums, school swimming pools, train stations, wooded areas — the list goes on and on.

LocoScout also makes it easy to contact a location about a production. The site keeps good notes on each of their locations — including any known special requirements for filming — such as if you are required to have a film monitor on set.

Overall, public locations tend to be pretty big, which makes them flexible. Additionally, you can also get access to a number of locations you can’t get access to anywhere else, but that show up again and again in film.

LA 411’s Location List

We’ll mention LA 411 on the list again later when we discuss location scouts. LA 411 has an extensive list of locations in Los Angeles and has a variety of unique locations — ranches, churches, ice-skating rinks, theaters, and more. 

Peerspace is excellent for finding both private locations and studio space, and LocoScout is excellent at finding big public locations. And in between the two, is LA 411. Its list will fill in the gaps between the other two lists, providing access to lots of unique spaces in the area. 

Some other sites:

Want to hire a location scout?

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Source: Peerspace

If you’d rather hire a location scout or a location management team to handle your locations for you, here are some great places to begin your search:

Production Hub

Production Hub offers an extensive selection of location scouts and management companies worldwide, including hundreds of options in Los Angeles alone.

The site includes helpful biographies on each of the scouts they list, allowing you to see their résumés and get a feel for their working styles and philosophies. If you find a scout you’re interested in, you can contact them directly through their Production Hub bio.

LA 411’s Location Scout List

LA 411 has an extensive list of over 150 location scouts and managers in the LA and surrounding area.

Like Production Hub, LA 411’s listings make it simple to research and get in touch with location scouts and managers. They’re one of the most trusted sources of production expertise in LA and New York for more than 30 years. 

Location Managers Guild’s Member List

The Location Managers Guild maintains a members list. A search of their database for location scouts in Los Angeles returns 75 results.

The member bios here are less comprehensive than the other websites on the list. However, they do generally provide an email, at the very least, for each location scout or manager. You’ll probably need to do additional research, but this list is a great jumping-off point for some Google sleuthing.

These are 11 iconic filming locations in Los Angeles. Check them out for inspiration!

Los Angeles production venues on Peerspace

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Source: Peerspace

Remember, you can be your own location scout in Los Angeles by using Peerspace. We have thousands of sensational production venues to suit your needs.

Spaces are operated by local hosts who list their space on our platform as a production rental. This means that you don’t have to fret over a potential host who is uncooperative. Many of our hosts, especially those who run production studios, have industry experience and may even offer equipment on-site for your use.

From professional production studios to hidden gem spaces that can serve as your perfect filming location, you can find any type of venue on our platform.

Here are a few of our favorites to show you what we mean:

  • This colorful downtown penthouse with a private rooftop pool (pictured above), a Latin Caribbean-influenced design scheme, and stunning city views
  • This 2,002 square-foot livestream sound stage studio in DTLA within a 7,000 square-foot studio with a green room, outdoor lounge, props department, audio department, and fabrication department
  • This ranch property in Shadow Hills with horses, a 1970s camper, mature oaks, a cottage, and four acres of land
  • This industrial chic cafe and market for productions in central LA with super-high ceilings, 3,000 square feet of interior space, and a 600-square-foot outdoor patio
  • This LA loft set in Central LA with more than 2,000 square feet of warehouse space, an open floor plan, lots of natural light, a green room, and optional lighting packages
  • This modern transition mansion in Bel Air with tropical grounds, a grand piano, a huge kitchen, gorgeous living areas, a gazebo, a treehouse, and waterfalls, all overlooking a golf course
  • This California-style bungalow in Palms with an airy, open ambiance, vaulted ceilings, a piano, a fireplace, and French doors leading to the backyard deck
  • This grungy downtown apartment/house near the Arts District that comes furnished and that has two bedrooms, a basement, and a porch

You get the picture! With Peerspace, you can find spaces that suit any vision you have, in every area of the city and at different price points. Plus, you can adjust the search settings so that you only see the listings for spaces that fit your requirements, saving you tons of time.

Peerspace makes it possible for you to be your own successful location scout in Los Angeles and anywhere else in the world!

Location scout in Los Angeles: conclusion

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Source: Peerspace

Now you know everything about being a location scout in Los Angeles! It’s not an easy job, but with these resources, you can find the perfect venues for all your production needs.

And if you do want to make your role as easy as possible, rely on Peerspace. We provide you with access to thousands of production-worthy venues across the city. And thanks to the search parameters you can set and the ultra-detailed listings, you can easily find the ideal space for your shoot.

Start searching today and reach out to the host of your favorites to start a dialogue. Their support may make all the difference in your production.

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