Always wanted to be in the movies? Let TV studios use your home for money

Today I’m looking at an opportunity with the potential to generate a lot of money for little effort. As you will gather, that is allowing your home to be used as a location for film, TV or still photography.

Of course, not everyone will be able to do this. You need to live somewhere with characteristics or features that might be in demand by a production company. 

But, as I’ll be explaining, you definitely don’t need to live in a stately home. A huge range of properties is required, so wherever you live there’s a chance it could be the perfect location for an upcoming project.

I admit that I haven’t any direct experience of doing this myself. Some friends who live in a perfectly normal suburban semi did, though. Their house was chosen for filming a toilet roll commercial. As well as a generous fee for two days’ filming, they received several large boxes of premium loo rolls for their trouble!

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What homes are required?

All sorts of properties may be of interest, although those meeting the following criteria are in most demand…

• Good accessibility and parking – film-makers in particular may have trucks and lorries that need to be parked near-by.
• Large rooms and through lounges – up to a dozen crew members plus their equipment are likely to be in the house at any time, so there must be enough space for them as well as the actors.
• Unusual features – traditional stone fireplaces, spiral staircases, farmhouse-style kitchens, extra-large bathrooms, and so on.
• Not too many narrow stairs and hallways, and not too close to main roads, busy railway lines or aircraft flight-paths.
• Homes with a particular ‘look’ – a typical English country cottage, for example, or a 1970s-style bachelor pad.
• Homes within the M25 are likely to generate more interest, as most production companies are based in and around London.
• Though growing numbers of films and TV shows are being made in Manchester and Bristol, so being close to these cities can also improve your chances of selection.
• Properties which could pass for being in a foreign country are also popular. Production companies have limited budgets that may mean that they can’t just fly everyone out to the US or the Mediterranean. If your home could pass for a Miami mansion or an Italian villa, for example, it could prove popular as a film location.

Earnings can range from a few hundred pounds for an ordinary house or flat, up to £5,000 or more for an unusual (e.g. ultra-modern/architect-designed) home. Other things being equal, film-makers tend to pay better than TV companies.

As mentioned above, there is also a demand for properties for still photography (typically featuring the latest designs or fashions). For this type of opportunity, it helps to have a large house, ideally with attractive gardens as well.

How to apply

Location Works is one agency that is happy to hear from people willing to offer their homes for filming. It’s free to register with them, and all they ask initially is that you take some photos of your property and complete an online registration form. 

The photos don’t have to be professional standard but they do have to be bright and sharp (not blurry). They should show both the outside of the property (including gardens) and the main rooms inside. It’s especially important to take good-quality photos of any special selling points for your property, e.g. stained glass windows or secret passages.

If a production company is interested in using your property as a location, initially they will arrange a ‘recce’. This is where the location manager comes and assesses your property for suitability. Yours is likely to be one of several they are considering, so don’t be disappointed if an offer doesn’t follow immediately after this. .

If the company does want to use your property, Location Works will negotiate a fee and provide a contract and any other advice you might need to ensure a successful shoot. They charge a standard 25 percent commission of the final fee paid by the production company and possibly other fees as well. They say that if you grant them exclusivity (i.e. agree not to sign up with any other agencies), they may reduce the amount they charge.

Some other agencies you can also try include UK Locations, The Location Partnership and Lavish Locations.

Good luck, and I hope the cameras are rolling in your property soon!Nick Daws writes for Pounds and Sense, a UK personal finance blog aimed especially (though not exclusively) at over-fifties.

Photo Credits: Unsplash