Guide to Filming in London
Finding a Location
London and the South East offer an abundance of locations - from unique hidden gems, to more recognizable landmarks.
If you are looking to film in London we have approximately 4,000 locations in our free online Film London Directory.
We also have a general information page about locations - find out more about how we can help you find a location, access camera position maps for popular locations in central London, and get new ideas by browsing through the Location of the Month pages.
For locations in the South East, please visit the Screen South locations library where you will have access to over 4,000 location, facility and crew records.
Location Fees
There will almost always be a fee for filming in a privately owned location. You will need to negotiate this fee directly with the location owner. Fees are generally charged on a case-by-case basis depending on your specific requirements.
To film on the street there will not be a filming fee, however the Borough Film Service may charge you an administration fee and you will be charged for any additional services that the council provides (such as waste disposal, parking suspensions and dispensations and set visits from the Film Officer). The BFS can also charge a filming fee for any council owned locations such as housing estates, some schools, commons and town halls etc.
For a full breakdown of all borough charges, as well as information on lead-in times and BFS contacts, please visit our Borough Charges page.
For more information please see private and public locations under Permissions & Boroughs.
Location Managers
If you have the budget to hire a location scout or manager with a good working knowledge of London we strongly recommend you to do this. A location manager will find locations, negotiate with owners and agree contracts. They have a thorough understanding of the requirements of Local Authorities when seeking permission to film in public spaces and on the application process (which can sometimes take up to two weeks).
They will also be trained in UK Health & Safety regulations and have experience of liaising with the police for traffic management. Film London runs an Availability Service for location managers and scouts, so we are happy to make recommendations.
Location Agencies
There are numerous commercial location libraries. They act as agents publicising locations to film-makers. All services offer an online photo library of locations. Most reputable agencies are listed in our Links section.
If you are looking to film in London we have approximately 4,000 locations in our free online Film London Directory.
We also have a general information page about locations - find out more about how we can help you find a location, access camera position maps for popular locations in central London, and get new ideas by browsing through the Location of the Month pages.
For locations in the South East, please visit the Screen South locations library where you will have access to over 4,000 location, facility and crew records.
Location Fees
There will almost always be a fee for filming in a privately owned location. You will need to negotiate this fee directly with the location owner. Fees are generally charged on a case-by-case basis depending on your specific requirements.
To film on the street there will not be a filming fee, however the Borough Film Service may charge you an administration fee and you will be charged for any additional services that the council provides (such as waste disposal, parking suspensions and dispensations and set visits from the Film Officer). The BFS can also charge a filming fee for any council owned locations such as housing estates, some schools, commons and town halls etc.
For a full breakdown of all borough charges, as well as information on lead-in times and BFS contacts, please visit our Borough Charges page.
For more information please see private and public locations under Permissions & Boroughs.
Location Managers
If you have the budget to hire a location scout or manager with a good working knowledge of London we strongly recommend you to do this. A location manager will find locations, negotiate with owners and agree contracts. They have a thorough understanding of the requirements of Local Authorities when seeking permission to film in public spaces and on the application process (which can sometimes take up to two weeks).
They will also be trained in UK Health & Safety regulations and have experience of liaising with the police for traffic management. Film London runs an Availability Service for location managers and scouts, so we are happy to make recommendations.
Location Agencies
There are numerous commercial location libraries. They act as agents publicising locations to film-makers. All services offer an online photo library of locations. Most reputable agencies are listed in our Links section.
- Calling all short film-makers – BFI Shorts 2012, new short film production scheme has just launched: http://t.co/NWZX4dFY @LighthouseArts
(2 hours ago)
