Before heading to a shoot for your video production, you must remember to have a checklist that will enumerate all the equipment you would need for a successful shoot—a fully-functional camera, batteries (all charged), video tape, tripod, headphones, and microphone. But aside from this checklist, you would also need to consider a lot of things in scouting a location for the shoot.
These factors are important to make sure you will have fewer issues and problems once the post-production sets in:
Lighting
Consider the time of the day when the shoot will happen. Is the location near a dock or in a park? What will be the light source when darkness sets in? What time of the day should you start?
Is the time allotted enough to capture images when there is still good light? If you are going to use artificial lights, will there be a power socket available in the location or do you have to bring your own power generator?
Background noise, interruption
One of the most important things you have to consider when scouting for a location is the level of audio interruption that might derail your shoot. If you are shooting in a park, for example, that could create a problem for you because kids could be playing around and other people may be lounging on picnic mats, etc. You may need equipment to filter these noises and interruption.
Cut-aways and fill shots
A video production is not composed only of the subject. It must also have fillers and cut-away shots. That means that when you scout for a location, you need to check for any possible good scenes that you could shoot in that area. If you’re shooting near the ocean, for example, would the beach and people in swimsuits be a good filler for you?
Size of the space
Is the space big enough for a crew and cast? How many are you in the crew and cast? Will space be able to accommodate you? Will you require the space to have facilities and amenities like a bathroom or a kitchen? If this will be a problem for your production, you should probably look for another space.
Proximity
How far or near is the location of your headquarters? Will you be able to retrieve your equipment when you left something? Would it be easy to access your office from the main location? It helps if your location would be near your office or your headquarters because it is easier to manage the transportation of people and equipment.