Location Scouting in Production

Every production starts somewhere. This one started with a location scout under a bridge in Nashville, Tennessee.

We highly recommend to not roll into a location with trucks and cameras and start filming. It takes planning, coordination, permits, and someone who truly knows the city or the specific location. The right location has to work creatively, logistically, and legally, and getting there often takes days or weeks of scouting, conversations with property owners, and navigating city approvals before a single light is set up.

After 16 years producing shoots across the country, we’ve learned that great productions are often built on the work that happens long before the crew arrives. Did you know that RSP handles permits for productions?

For this shoot, we worked with location manager Mark Ragland, walking potential spots around Nashville before landing on the perfect one beneath the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. The space had everything we were looking for: scale, texture, and the kind of backdrop that would give the vehicle real presence on camera.

What many people don’t see is the work behind the scenes. Location managers are coordinating permits, city agencies, property owners, safety considerations, parking plans for production trucks, and making sure the space will actually function for lighting, cameras, and movement. It’s a job that requires deep local knowledge and a lot of problem solving.

Reach out if you need the perfect location secured!