There are many ways to find and book great filming locations in London UK. However, your first port of call and the quickest way to find a suitable film or photo shoot location, should be via a Location Agency / Library. 

There are many different types of Location Libraries varying in size, style and what they specialise in. Locations Direct, is one of the most prominent London based Location Libraries, offering a great range of shoot locations in the south of England, including Warehouses, Industrial Buildings, Halls, Bars, Pubs, Restaurants, Offices, Events Spaces, Libraries, Hotels, Swimming Pools, plus an outstanding variety of Residential properties like Houses, Flats and Manors. 

You use a Location Library by initially browsing their online database of potential location options. Once you have found a location that you feel could be a suitable option for your shoot, you can contact the Location Library to ask them to check the availability and rates of that location for your shoot. If the location is available for your dates and the hire fee is within your budget range, you can organise a recce at the location to view it in person before confirming the booking. 

Another way of using the service of a Location Library to help you find a suitable location, is to email them with a location brief, treatment, or reference images from your production. They can then use their knowledge of the database, to efficiently send you options that they feel could be the closest match.  

Once a location is confirmed a Location Library will then liaise with the location on your behalf to help organise the shoot for you. They will also draw up the hire agreement for you to sign and will handle the invoicing and payments. In most instances the Location Library will hold a Damage Deposit on behalf of the location until after the filming is complete. 

Fees: on top of the location hire fee for the booking, the Location Library will charge a Library Fee AKA a Booking Fee. This amount varies depending on the location library that you use or how time intensive the booking has been. Locations Direct generally charges £250 as their library fee, however other libraries can charge up to £500. 

Click here to browse through the Locations Direct database of film friendly locations.