In the Hollywood film industry, California location scouts are integral to the successful production of any project, from a 30-second commercial to a feature film. While the opening credits may run the names of the film's stars, producers and directors, it's the scout who is ultimately responsible for delivering the backdrops and settings for the believability of the project. If the project's setting doesn't compliment the acting taking place on screen, the fans, or targeted customers, will know it.

So, what are the job duties of California location scouts? How do they go about finding locations? Are there different job titles in a studio's scouting department? In this article, we look at what it takes to be a California location scout.

The Job Duties of California Location Scouts

The primary job duty for a film location scout is to find the ideal settings for the film project. This is initiated in the pre-production of a project between the director, producer and the scout. Once the scout has a good idea of the director's vision for the film, according to the script, the scout will do their best to find properties or businesses that meet the attributes the script calls for. But in truth, a California location scout's job is not always so cut-and-dry.

A studio's location department has a full detail of duties that need to be managed properly for the project's shooting schedule to remain on target. And these important tasks can keep the department busy from pre-production all the way through the wrap.

California Location Scouts, Managers and More

Every studio location department has a number of professionals employed under its umbrella and each is responsible for a certain aspect of the location finding process.

Location Managers oversee the entire location department and report directly to the Production Manager. This individual has the responsibility of guaranteeing permission to use the location that's desired for filming. They're also responsible for budget management related to the film's locations.

The California location scout does most of the research necessary for finding the properties the production team needs. This often requires traveling to locations, taking photos and searching for available properties online.

Location assistants work with the scouts and managers to handle the general responsibilities, such as maintaining location cleanliness, handling neighbor concerns and much more.