SCENE 01 / LOCATION SCOUTING SERVICES
Location Scouting Services
Find the perfect filming locations in France for your production.
The right location can make or break a production. That is why we built a team of skilled scouts who know France inside and out, from the cobblestone streets of Lyon to the lavender fields of Provence. We handle the site research, the logistics checks, and the permit forms. You tell us what you need, and we find it.
Over the years, we have built a database of more than 5,000 locations across the country. But we do not just hand you a list and wish you luck. Our scouts visit each site in person to confirm it fits your needs, whether that is a crumbling 16th-century chateau for a period piece or a sleek Parisian rooftop for a fragrance campaign.
What really sets us apart is our network. For years we have built ties with property owners, local mayors, film commissions, and heritage site managers. When you need to shoot at a place that usually says no, we know who to call. We have won access to spots that most people do not even know exist.
Our Location Scouting Services
The right location can make or break a production. That is why we built a team of skilled scouts who know France inside and out, from the cobblestone streets of Lyon to the lavender fields of Provence. We handle the site research, the logistics checks, and the permit forms. You tell us what you need, and we find it.
Over the years, we have built a database of more than 5,000 locations across the country. But we do not just hand you a list and wish you luck. Our scouts visit each site in person to confirm it fits your needs, whether that is a crumbling 16th-century chateau for a period piece or a sleek Parisian rooftop for a fragrance campaign.
What really sets us apart is our network. For years we have built ties with property owners, local mayors, film commissions, and heritage site managers. When you need to shoot at a place that usually says no, we know who to call. We have won access to spots that most people do not even know exist.
Comprehensive Location Scouting Solutions
Our expert scouts know France's varied landscapes, cities, and cultural sites in depth. We cover the full job, from first scouting to on-set support, and we handle the permits and logistics along the way.
Urban Locations
- • Modern cityscapes
- • Historic districts
- • Commercial areas
- • Residential neighborhoods
- • Industrial zones
Natural Landscapes
- • Coastal beaches
- • Mountain regions
- • Vineyard settings
- • Forest locations
- • River systems
Cultural Sites
- • Historic chateaux
- • Medieval architecture
- • Traditional villages
- • Museums
- • Heritage locations
Production Facilities
- • Studio spaces
- • Controlled environments
- • Green screen facilities
- • Equipment storage
- • Crew facilities
How We Work With You
Our work with productions follows a simple path. You tell us what you need, we go find it, and we handle every headache in between, from permits to negotiations to logistics. By the time you show up to shoot, everything is ready.
Requirements Analysis
First, we sit down with you to learn exactly what you are after. Our team reads through your script, reviews reference images, talks about budget limits, and pins down the visual style you want. No detail is too small at this stage.
Research & Reconnaissance
Once we know what you need, our scouts get to work. They pull site options from the database and then inspect each one in person. Our team shoots each location from several angles and records the details that matter, such as power supply, parking spaces, site conditions, and daylight patterns.
Presentation & Selection
We build a detailed presentation for each shortlisted location. You get pro photos, logistics breakdowns, rough costs, and a note on which permits we will need. Most clients find exactly what they want in the first round of options.
Coordination & Securing
Once you make your choice, our team handles the rest. We negotiate fees with property owners, set access schedules, manage contracts, and secure every permit you need. By the time your crew arrives, everything is sorted and ready to go.
You get one point of contact the whole way through, someone who knows your project and can give you straight answers when things change. And things always change.
What We Bring to the Table
We bring years of on-the-ground work across France, a database we built from scratch, and the kind of local ties that take years to grow.
Our Resources
5,000+ Locations On File
We have built this database over many years. Every entry holds photos, GPS coordinates, notes on access and power, and a tip on the best time of year. It is not just a list, but hard-won knowledge.
On-Site Technical Surveys
Before we recommend a site, we check it ourselves. Our scouts test power capacity, truck access, parking, and ambient noise, the things that matter once you are trying to shoot there.
Permit Handling
French red tape can be a maze. We handle the permit applications, the property releases, and the back-and-forth with local officials, so you do not have to.
Scouting Statistics
Why Choose Fixers in France for Location Scouting
Local Expertise
Our scouts have spent their whole lives in these regions. They know the back roads that lead to hidden gardens and tucked-away villages that most visitors never find. That local knowledge lets us offer locations you will not see in any other production's portfolio.
Complete Documentation
Each location report we deliver is full enough to hand straight to your line producer. The document covers tech specs, permit needs, access routes, and notes on nearby facilities. It is all there, organized and ready to use.
Rapid Response
Sometimes plans change at the last minute, and we get it. That is why we offer a 48-hour turnaround on location reports, plus emergency scouting when you need to pivot fast during production.
Cultural Heritage Access
Winning permission to film at UNESCO sites, historic chateaux, or national monuments is not easy, but we have done it dozens of times. We know the application process, the right contacts, and how to pitch your project so it gets approved.
On Location
Scouting filming locations across all thirteen French regions
Our scouting reach covers all thirteen regions of metropolitan France, from the granite coast of Brittany and the Loire Valley châteaux to the Pyrenean foothills, the Camargue marshlands, and the alpine passes of Haute-Savoie. The pre-vetted library holds more than five thousand sites, each tagged for power capacity, truck turnaround, ambient noise, and seasonal daylight windows. Scouts walk every location before it reaches a recommendation deck, so the data stays current. Tech surveys arrive within forty-eight hours, complete with GPS pins, multi-angle stills, and ground-truth notes on what each owner will and will not approve.
Heritage and off-limits access is where the network earns its keep. We hold standing ties with the Centre des monuments nationaux, the Conservatoire du littoral, regional DRAC offices, and the gatekeepers behind UNESCO sites such as Mont-Saint-Michel, the Palace of Versailles surrounds, and the Pont du Gard. Mairie permits, voirie closures, and Code du patrimoine releases all move through channels we already know. So shoots reach the rare interior, such as a private hôtel particulier in the 7th, a working vineyard in Saint-Émilion, or a closed Métro station, with forms cleared and a one hundred percent permit success rate behind them.
FAQ
Location Scouting FAQ
Essential information for planning your location scouting project in France.
How long does location scouting take in France?
It really depends on what you need. For a simple commercial shoot, we can often turn around options in 2-3 days. Feature films usually need 1-2 weeks of focused scouting to cover all the scenes. Documentaries fall in between, at roughly 3-7 days. And if you are in a bind, we offer emergency scouting with 24-48 hour delivery.
What permits are required for filming at French locations?
The exact permits depend on where you shoot and how large the shoot is. To film in any public area, local authorities require a filming permit. Owners of private sites must sign release forms for their property. Historic monuments and UNESCO sites run their own application process through cultural affairs offices. We handle all of this for you, and it is one of the main reasons productions hire us.
What are typical location scouting costs in France?
Basic day-rate scouting runs between €300 and €500 per day. We also offer full packages that cover many sites, with documentation and permit support included, and those run €1,500-€6,000 based on scope. Remote locations add to the cost, so figure €800-€2,500 per day for mountain or rural scouting. Permit fees themselves range from €150 to €1,500 based on the site.
Can you scout locations in remote areas of France?
Yes, and several of our favorite spots sit well off the tourist trail. We often scout in the Alps, along the Brittany coast, in rural Provence, and across the Pyrenees. Our team runs access reviews for far-flung locations, then handles gear transport and finds good housing for crew working in the area.
How many location options will we receive?
For each scene or setup you need, we usually present 3-5 vetted options. These are not random picks, since every location we show you has been checked for logistics, permit availability, and budget fit. We would rather give you fewer, better options than flood you with places that will not work.
What documentation do you provide for each location?
Each location package holds many high-resolution photos shot from several angles, along with tech survey data on power supply, access points, and facilities. It also covers the logistics, such as parking, service points, and site restrictions. For more complex locations, we add site maps and suggested camera positions based on the light.
Related Services
Productions in France that need this often pair it with Local Fixer Services, Production Budgeting Services, and Production Scheduling Services for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Pre-Production Services and Travel Coordinator.
On Set
Ready to Discover Perfect Locations?
Let us find the backdrop your project deserves. Get in touch and tell us what you need, and we will take it from there.