The Obsession With Epic Backdrops
There’s this thing that happens once a budget clears a certain magic number. Suddenly, people start throwing around location ideas like a real estate agent at an open bar. "Let’s shoot the pitch video downtown at sunrise!", "What if we hike a RED up to Griffith Observatory?"—you get the idea.
Look, I get the appeal. We all want those gorgeous, cinematic backgrounds that make a thumbnail pop. I’ve chased my fair share: snow in Big Bear, golden hour rooftops, remote Joshua Tree boulders. But most of the time, what eats up your day (and your sanity) isn’t getting the talent dialed. It’s the extra hour to get the van through LA traffic, or negotiating with some power-happy security guard about why you absolutely need to set C-stands near a historical building.
The truth? Unless the location is a character in your spot, or it drives the story, it’s probably just set dressing—half your audience won’t care. I worked on a wellness brand promo where we trekked two hours outside the city for desaturated desert vistas. The result? A stressed-out client and a rushed shoot, all for wide shots that wound up as four seconds of B-roll. Compare that to a campaign we did for a tech startup, shot in a founder’s cluttered, character-filled office. That one felt real. And yes, it converted better, too.
When Location Actually Matters
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you do need spectacle. There are stories that live and die on place. If you’re selling surfboards, nobody wants to see a warehouse. I shot a doc piece on marathoners that started in their apartments, then followed them to a dawn start line at Santa Monica pier. No way you fake that energy. Those shots made every early wakeup worth it.
But here’s the thing: most commercial spots, interviews, quick social videos—they don’t need that level of production tourism. Your best bet is choosing a place that’s emotionally consistent with the brand and, more importantly, logistically easy. We filmed a healthcare PSA in a nondescript office lobby because it was quiet, had decent light, and zero distractions. Six setups in four hours. Zero headaches, zero location fees, and nobody wondering why we’re running behind.
If you find the right window light in someone’s home or a coffee shop that feels lived-in, that’s usually enough. Don’t let some director’s reel fool you into thinking street-level grit sells soap. Unless your story genuinely puts the city onstage, you’re chasing aesthetics that eat your budget and sap your team’s energy.
The Real Cost Of The “Wow Factor”
Time, money, patience—the perfect location sucks up all three. I’ve watched crews set up for golden hour at the Malibu cliffs, only for marine layer to roll in. I’ve had location owners pull permits at the zero hour (looking at you, residential Venice Beach). And then there’s crew overtime, tired talent, and a dozen cold, mediocre coffees. That miserable, cranky energy shows up in footage—trust me.
Not to mention, those “epic” shots rarely land as hard as you want once locked into a thirty-second edit. They’re B-roll candy at best. The meat and potatoes—the thing that moves brand dollars—is almost always the content you can stop, reset, and finesse without risking a parking ticket.
Want to win on the day? Shoot in a location you can control, where the only interruptions are your own fault. You want natural light, fine, but don’t bank the schedule on it. Aim for a place you can fake golden hour with a $60 softbox and still wrap before dinner.
Solving For Real Needs, Not Location Envy
Ask yourself, "What’s actually moving the needle here?" Is it a big mountain in the background, or is it story and comfort? I’m a fan of spaces that let people be themselves. Half the interviews I’ve shot got better when we staged them somewhere talent already felt comfortable—home office, familiar conference room, a place with coffee five feet away.
I watched a crew spend three days prepping a mansion for a luxury brand ad. They built fake walls, covered existing art, installed $30,000 worth of rental furniture. Client hated it anyway—wanted something more "authentic." Five grand and two headaches later, we reshot the whole thing in their actual storefront, and that footage finally clicked.
So be ruthless. Optimize for control, proximity, actual needs. Scenery is icing. If the core of your shoot isn’t location-dependent, skip the field trips and give yourself room to work. Your editor and your client will thank you—and maybe, finally, you’ll wrap while there’s still parking.