Filming in an operational building
Our team are experienced in handling filming in any type of operational building, whether a school, a livery hall or a tenanted office building. We can provide as much or as little support as your on-site team need throughout the process.
Opening the doors of an operational site for filming is an effective way to generate additional revenue around a building’s core purpose, and can help showcase trophy assets on a global scale.
It can sit comfortably alongside other commercialisation strategies including events, enlivenment and conferences.
We understand that protecting those occupying a site from the impact of filming is key, whether they are paying tenants, students or members of the public. Upon request, we can provide a site liaison to supervise filming days, and we always ensure a site is swiftly returned to its original state post filming.
Health and safety is always of high importance. Each production we work with must complete a comprehensive Risk Assessment and Method Statement, and must provide proof of Public Liability Insurance to a value of at least £10m before site access is allowed.
We work with every major production shooting in London as well as a wide range of smaller scale projects including TV commercials, music promos and photoshoots. By listing with us you can be confident of securing the right type of enquiry and the highest possible filming revenue for your building.
Frequently asked questions
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Q.What is exclusive representation?
A. For select buildings of high filmic value, we offer exclusive representation. Benefits are tailored to the needs of each owner but can include professional photography, a dedicated Account Manager, a premium listing on our website, ‘top-of-search’ within our database, performance reporting and regular, industry-wide marketing. Our team will advise on whether exclusivity is appropriate for your building.
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Q.What do you charge for your services?
A. No fees are payable to us until we secure a hire you are happy to accommodate. For each hire that proceeds, we take a percentage from the hire fees in commission.
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Q.How much work is involved in accommodating filming?
A. Our team may need support from your security or facilities team to help prepare a building for production use, conduct site visits or supervise filming. This varies from building to building and we work with each owner to put in place a bespoke solution. Our team will manage the full administrative process for each hire, including securing initial production interest, booking recces, negotiating the fairest possible filming terms, agreeing filming intentions with a production, handling aftercare, and ensuring the hire fee is paid.
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Q.How far in advance do filming hires confirm?
A. This can vary hugely but as a general rule of thumb, the larger a production the more notice you are likely to have of filming dates. A big feature may confirm dates months in advance if their schedule is dependant on securing key actors on certain dates. Smaller productions like commercials and photoshoots confirm at shorter notice, sometimes days before a shoot date. The key logistics of a shoot are agreed as far in advance as possible but it is worth bearing in mind that, due to the fast-paced nature of the film industry, most filming contracts are not finalised and formally signed off until between one and five days before the first hire date.
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Q.How much revenue does filming generate?
A. Again, this varies depending on the nature of your site and the type of production. Once our team have assessed your site’s filmic value they will be able to provide a guide rate card.
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Q.Who needs to be on site during filming?
A. You won’t be needed on site for filming days. Location Collective can, if required, provide an experienced site liaison to cover filming days and ensure the filming contract is adhered to.
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Q.What implications does filming have for business rates?
A. If business rates are not already paid in full for an operational site, filming can trigger rates in some buildings. Our team (in partnership with our in-house rates consultant) can advise on whether this might apply.
Case studies
Location Collective are a highly dedicated and professional team who have extensive connections in the film industry. They bring a high calibre of filming enquiries for our assets and are a well-known and trusted presence on site due to the frequency of production recces they personally oversee on our behalf. Overall, a great service and a passionate team who are an important contributor to our commercialisation strategy.
I have been hugely impressed by the Location Collective team. The London shoot went exceptionally smoothly. Our Account Manager was able to quickly develop a good relationship and successfully engage with a number of senior operational management at the stadium, which was not an easy task given the demands of operating a brand new stadium at that time. He was always polite but very clear on what was needed, was very thorough and also made sure that all parties were well informed at all times. The whole process was completely seamless.
The team, organisation, communication and support are outstanding! We have and would recommend their services to other schools. Their approach is very selective and they understand perfectly all the restrictions and challenges that the education industry faces when they open their premises to commercial activities. It’s been a delight working with Location Collective over the past 2 years.
Lovely people, efficient admin, highly professional.
Great team - always pushing our venue and super efficient!
The Location Collective team are great fun to work with. I always look forward to our status meetings and hearing what is going on in the film industry. They are passionate about what they do and work hard for us to explore every filming opportunity in our portfolio.
The team at Location Collective have always shown a keen interest in what we do and in helping raise funds to support our cause. Hires are carefully chosen to fit around our activities as a working manufacturing site and are handled with professionalism and care. We really enjoy getting the interest from film productions and seeing them in action on site, and the funds generated through the connection with Location Collective are extremely valuable to us!
I would highly recommend the services of Location Collective. We have enjoyed a hugely positive working relationship with our Account Managers over the years who we have always found to be professional, friendly and passionate about securing filming hires for the Hall. The quality and calibre of productions Location Collective has sourced for us has always been high, and their account management of each production careful and meticulous.
Location Collective helped us realise there were ways to make money from the club that we would never have considered. The team there have been great. They are on the side of the club, making sure we get considered for anything that might work, and the team there always make sure we are looked after. The club would be in a very different position without all their hard work.
Location Collective have brought us a high calibre of filming hires over the years and have managed them expertly and with minimal work required from our own events teams. Filming has added a significant revenue stream to our business, helping fill gaps where space would otherwise be left vacant, so it’s been hugely worthwhile. We would highly recommend working with Location Collective who have the expertise to ensure that fair, realistic rates are set for filming.
Acquisitions team
Contact our Acquisitions team
