HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY DURING PRODUCTION

Hosting a film, commercial or photo shoot can be a great way to generate income from your property—but even a careful production introduces more people, equipment and activity than your home or business normally experiences.

The good news: professional productions are accustomed to protecting locations.

As a property owner, your job isn't to hover over every light stand. It's to identify what matters, establish expectations before the shoot and make sure appropriate protections are in place before production begins.

Here's what to consider.

START WITH A WALK-THROUGH

Before the shoot, walk through the property with the producer or location representative and identify anything that requires special attention.

Point out:

  • Fragile flooring

  • Valuable furniture

  • Artwork

  • Antiques

  • Sensitive countertops

  • Restricted rooms

  • Landscaping

  • Irrigation systems

  • Septic areas

  • Gates and fences

  • Delicate fixtures

  • Areas where equipment should not be placed

Don't assume production will recognize everything that is important to you.

If something requires special treatment, say so before the crew arrives.

TAKE BEFORE PHOTOS

One of the simplest ways to protect yourself is to document the property before production begins.

Photograph the areas production will use, including:

  • Floors

  • Walls

  • Furniture

  • Artwork

  • Countertops

  • Doors

  • Exterior areas

  • Landscaping

Pay particular attention to existing scratches, stains or damage.

These photographs create a reference for both you and production when the location is restored at the end of the shoot.

For larger productions, the location department may also document the property during check-in.

REMOVE IRREPLACEABLE ITEMS

If something is truly priceless or impossible to replace, consider removing it before the shoot.

That might include:

  • Family heirlooms

  • Valuable artwork

  • Jewelry

  • Important documents

  • Collectibles

  • Fragile antiques

  • Sentimental objects

  • Personal electronics

Professional crews are generally careful, but accidents happen.

The safest place for an irreplaceable object during a busy production is often somewhere else.

PROTECT YOUR FLOORS

Floors experience some of the heaviest production traffic.

Crew members may make hundreds of trips through a property while moving equipment, cases, carts and supplies.

Depending on the flooring, production may use protective materials in high-traffic and equipment areas.

Pay particular attention to:

  • Hardwood

  • Natural stone

  • Delicate tile

  • Carpet

  • Recently refinished floors

  • Stairs

Equipment should not be dragged across finished surfaces, and stands or other heavy equipment may require appropriate protection underneath them.

If your floors have specific requirements, include them in your film-friendly house rules.

CREATE A CLEAR EQUIPMENT PATH

Think about how equipment will get from the production vehicles to the filming area.

Which door should crew use?

Can equipment move through the garage instead of the main entrance?

Are there narrow hallways, stairs or fragile areas that should be avoided?

Establishing a preferred load-in route can reduce unnecessary traffic throughout the property.

DECIDE WHAT FURNITURE CAN BE MOVED

Productions frequently need to move furniture to create camera positions, accommodate lighting or change the appearance of a room.

Decide in advance:

  • What can be moved

  • What requires owner approval

  • What should never be moved

  • Who is responsible for moving heavy pieces

Take photographs of rooms before furniture is rearranged. It makes restoration much easier at the end of a long shoot day.

PROTECT WALLS + DOORWAYS

Large equipment cases and carts moving through tight spaces can put doorframes, corners and walls at risk.

If your property has particularly delicate finishes, narrow entrances or recently painted walls, flag those areas for production.

Temporary protection may be appropriate in heavily trafficked spaces.

Also establish whether production may attach anything to walls, ceilings or other surfaces.

Tape, hooks, temporary coverings and other materials should not be applied to sensitive finishes without approval.

ESTABLISH RESTRICTED AREAS

Production doesn't necessarily need access to your entire property.

If certain rooms or areas are private, identify them clearly.

You can close doors, place signs or physically restrict access to areas such as:

  • Home offices

  • Children's rooms

  • Primary closets

  • Storage rooms

  • Attics

  • Private bedrooms

  • Garages

  • Other sensitive spaces

Tell the production's location representative which areas are off-limits so that information can be communicated to the crew.

PROTECT LANDSCAPING + EXTERIOR AREAS

Exterior production can be just as disruptive as filming indoors.

Equipment, tents, vehicles and repeated foot traffic can damage lawns and landscaping.

Before the shoot, establish where production may:

  • Park vehicles

  • Place equipment

  • Set up tents

  • Stage cases

  • Walk

  • Load and unload

  • Place generators

Identify sensitive landscaping, irrigation systems, septic fields or other areas where vehicles and heavy equipment should not go.

KEEP PRODUCTION VEHICLES WHERE THEY BELONG

Don't assume every vehicle associated with the shoot will fit on your property.

Ask for the approximate number and type of vehicles in advance.

Larger productions may bring:

  • Equipment trucks

  • Cargo vans

  • Passenger vans

  • Motorhomes

  • Catering vehicles

  • Talent vehicles

  • Client and agency vehicles

Establish approved parking and loading areas before production arrives.

For Nashville productions involving public streets, sidewalks or other public areas, additional approvals may be necessary. Current production information is available through the Metro Nashville Film Office.

DESIGNATE FOOD + DRINK AREAS

Food and beverages can create unnecessary risk around carpets, furniture and filming areas.

Consider establishing specific areas for:

  • Catering

  • Crew meals

  • Snacks

  • Coffee

  • Client and agency holding

You can also restrict particularly staining foods or drinks from sensitive areas.

ADDRESS SMOKING + OPEN FLAMES

Establish your policy on smoking and vaping before the shoot.

Open flames—including candles, fireplaces, fire pits and cooking flames—should be specifically discussed and approved in advance.

If the creative involves fire, smoke, special effects or another potentially hazardous activity, ask production for details before agreeing to it.

Additional permits or safety requirements may apply depending on the activity.

ASK FOR PROOF OF INSURANCE

Before allowing production onto your property, ask for evidence of appropriate production insurance.

This will commonly come in the form of a Certificate of Insurance (COI).

Depending on your agreement, you or the entity that owns the property may also need to be listed as an additional insured.

Read What Is a Certificate of Insurance (COI)? and What Insurance Should You Require From Production? for more information.

General information about insurance regulation in Tennessee is also available through the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance.

USE A WRITTEN LOCATION AGREEMENT

Important terms shouldn't live exclusively in texts and emails.

Your location agreement should document the production's access to the property and address issues such as:

  • Dates

  • Hours

  • Fees

  • Overtime

  • Insurance

  • Permitted areas

  • Alterations

  • Damage

  • Restoration

  • Cancellation

Read What Is a Location Release? for an overview of what a location agreement may include.

CONSIDER A SITE REPRESENTATIVE

For larger productions, it may make sense to have the owner, property manager or another designated representative present while production is on site.

The site representative can:

  • Answer property questions

  • Provide access

  • Monitor restricted areas

  • Approve unexpected requests

  • Coordinate with the location department

  • Document issues

  • Complete the final walk-through

That doesn't mean following the camera crew from room to room.

Ideally, production has one clear property contact who can make decisions when something comes up.

DON'T APPROVE MAJOR CHANGES ON THE FLY

Shoot days move quickly.

Someone may ask, "Can we just take this door off?" or "Can we move this giant cabinet?"

If a request could damage or materially alter the property, don't feel pressured to immediately say yes.

Ask what production wants to do, how it will be done and how the property will be restored.

Significant alterations should be approved by the appropriate property representative.

DO A FINAL WALK-THROUGH

Before production completely leaves the property, inspect the areas that were used.

Check:

  • Floors

  • Walls

  • Furniture placement

  • Artwork

  • Bathrooms

  • Exterior areas

  • Landscaping

  • Trash

  • Equipment removal

  • Any approved alterations

If something needs attention, identify it while the production team is still available to address it.

For productions with a separate wrap day, complete the final inspection after restoration is finished.

REPORT DAMAGE PROMPTLY

If you discover damage, document it with photographs and notify the production contact promptly.

Keep relevant paperwork, photographs and correspondence together.

How damage is handled should also be addressed in your location agreement and, when applicable, through the production's insurance process.

THE GOAL IS PROTECTION, NOT RESTRICTION

A film-friendly property doesn't have to be a property where production can do anything it wants.

The best locations establish reasonable protections while still giving the crew enough flexibility to work.

Before production arrives:

  • Document the property's condition

  • Remove irreplaceable items

  • Identify sensitive areas

  • Establish house rules

  • Confirm parking and access

  • Agree on permitted alterations

  • Request appropriate insurance documentation

  • Put important terms in writing

  • Inspect the property at wrap

Most problems are easier to prevent than repair.

A little preparation before the first equipment case comes through the door can go a long way toward protecting your property—and creating a smoother experience for everyone involved.

Nashville Location Company provides location scouting, location management and location consulting for film, photography and commercial productions throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee.