Episode 1 Introduction: A Profession in Transition Location scouting has always been a vital but often overlooked part of filmmaking. The right location can lift a story, set a film’s mood, and take viewers to new places. But the way scouts find and secure these spots has changed a lot over time. From the old days of printed photos and handwritten notes to today’s AI-powered tools, the scouting profession has evolved alongside film industry technology. This episode looks at how scouting has changed—and what’s coming next. The Early Days of Location Scouting Before digital tools, scouting was all about legwork and relationships. Scouts used their own judgment, local contacts, and a lot of walking to find the right spot. Here’s what it looked like back then: Physical Travel: Scouts spent weeks or months driving around and snapping photos with film cameras. Paper-Based Systems: Notes were handwritten, and filing cabinets were filled with location folders. Limited Communication: Scouts had to get back from their trips before they could share anything with the team. Long Processing Times: Photos and VHS tapes were mailed or hand-delivered to directors and producers. Fax machines tried to speed things up. A scout would fax a picture—but the result was often a blurry, black-and-white mess. Still, it felt high-tech at the time! Despite the challenges, great scouts stood out by spotting cinematic potential where others didn’t. Strong relationships mattered, and many production teams worked with the same trusted scouts for years. The Digital Revolution: Scouting Enters a New Era In the late 1990s and early 2000s, new tools made scouting faster and more streamlined. Key breakthroughs included: Digital Cameras: No more waiting for film to develop—photos were instant and high quality. Online Location Databases: Teams could search locations on websites like IMDb and early directories. Email & Cloud Storage: Scouts could now share reports and images instantly. These changes improved speed and access, but didn’t change the heart of scouting. It still took creativity, local insight, and smart thinking—things that machines couldn’t provide. That said, the past decade has brought tools that are truly reshaping the scouting workflow. The Rise of AI, Drones & Virtual Scouting Today’s scouts have more tech at their fingertips than ever. Scouting is now: AI-Powered: AI tools read scripts, pick out keywords, and suggest matching locations from huge image libraries. Drone-Assisted: Scouts can get stunning aerial views in minutes instead of trekking for hours. VR & Virtual Tours: Directors can now preview a location remotely with a headset. Online Marketplaces: Sites like Locamundo let teams browse and book locations in seconds. Even with all this, scouting still needs a human touch. AI can sort options—but only an experienced scout knows which one works best for story, lighting, and logistics. What This Means for the Future of Location Scouting Scouting is entering a new phase. As technology grows more powerful, here’s what’s likely to change: Scouts will become digital curators, reviewing AI-picked locations instead of starting from scratch. Site visits will be more focused, with virtual tours replacing early trips. New jobs will appear, like Virtual Location Manager or Digital Asset Coordinator. The challenge? Keeping the soul of the job alive. The best scouts of tomorrow will use tech—but still rely on instinct, storytelling skills, and trusted relationships. Conclusion: A Hybrid Future for Scouts Tools change, but the mission stays the same: to find real-world places that bring scripts to life. In future episodes, we’ll look closer at the tech, trends, and challenges shaping the future of location scouting. Sources The Guardian: "AI and the Film Industry" Locamundo: "The Digital Transformation of Location Scouting" Massif Network: "How AI is Changing Film Pre-Production" Article was written by Rickard Molin owner of Locamundo and a Damn good scout.

How Production Companies Find Your Locations – Stand Out with Locamundo As a location scout, you know that this industry is built on connections, credibility, and having the right locations at the right time. But how do production companies actually find locations today? The days of relying solely on analog photos, old VHS tapes, and word-of-mouth recommendations are over. While experience and intuition will always be essential, digital visibility is now just as critical. This is where Locamundo comes in – a powerful software designed to help location scouts present locations professionally, stay ahead of the competition, and ensure that their locations get selected first. 1. How It Used to Work – And Why Things Have Changed Location scouts were entirely dependent on a tight industry network. Often, you got job after job from the same production company. If another company approached you, you had a critical decision to make—leaving your position could mean that someone else filled the gap, and you might not get your old gig back. This was a time I’ll never forget. It felt like we had oceans of time to find locations. Meetings with creatives often turned into lifelong friendships. But one thing I’d love to forget? The 21 boxes still sitting in my attic—filled with thousands of photographs and VHS tapes of locations no one will ever bother to sort. No online databases – Everything was managed through contacts and physical catalogs. Endless road trips – Scouts would spend days, sometimes weeks, searching for the right locations. Phones and fax machines – Securing a location often meant hours of back-and-forth phone calls. Developing film rolls – No instant digital uploads – just waiting, sorting, and hoping the photos turned out well. And then, there was the fax machine. For those of you who never had the pleasure of using one: You’d insert a perfectly composed photo of a scouted location, press a button, and the machine would magically send the document to another identical machine somewhere else. After a series of whirs, beeps, and mechanical clicks, you’d wait. Twenty minutes later, the recipient would receive a completely illegible black-and-white blur, which somehow was still expected to illustrate what was being requested and drive the location search forward. 2. Visibility = More Jobs, Faster Deals, and Better Opportunities High visibility = more opportunities Easy searchability = more inquiries Professional presentation = faster confirmations 3. How Production Companies and Scouts Find Locations Today Industry databases – Platforms like Locamundo are the go-to choice for professional scouts and producers. Google & social media – Some locations go viral, but are they easy to book? Rarely. Direct contacts & location managers – These relationships are still important, but even they now refer to digital platforms. Film commissions & industry events – Great for networking, but they don’t replace the need for a searchable database. 4. Why Locamundo Works for Location Scouts Industry-specific database – Used by professional scouts & producers. Direct contact – No middlemen, no high commissions – you handle the communication. Optimized exposure – Your locations appear in filtered searches that productions actually use. Verified users – No time-wasters – just real industry professionals. Scouts search for locations in other registers – Many location scouts also use Locamundo to find locations in other scouts’ databases and among those listed by private owners. 5. The Smartest Location Scouts Are Already on Locamundo The industry is evolving, but the best scouts adapt. Locamundo doesn’t replace relationships – it strengthens them by making the job faster and easier. Scouts who embrace digital tools gain a competitive edge. List your locations here Article was written by Rickard Molin owner of Locamundo and a Damn good scout.