The Invisible Art of Location Scouting: Time for an Oscar

Location scouting is the film industry’s best-kept secret — a kind of cinematic underground movement. Long before a director shouts “action,” some poor soul (let’s call them a “scout”) has already spent weeks translating vague script lines like “a cozy diner with soul” into an actual greasy spoon where the ketchup bottles are sticky enough to make Scorsese weep with joy.

More Than Just Finding Places

If you thought a scout’s job was to point at a field and say, “Here’s grass,” think again. These people are script analysts, therapists for stressed-out directors, and part-time weather shamans. They know when fog rolls in, where shadows fall, and which rundown motel is atmospheric and which one just smells like mold.

Take Robert Boake, for instance. He stumbled upon the haunting tree that became “Godswood” in Game of Thrones. One tree. One moment of inspired scouting. And suddenly an entire fandom was lighting candles and swearing loyalty to bark and branches.

Hollywood’s Blind Spot

And yet… the Academy still hasn’t noticed. Cinematographers get Oscars. Costume designers get Oscars. Even the people who edit sound so finely you can hear Batman’s cape rustle get Oscars. But location scouts? Nothing. Nada. Not even a polite nod.

Veterans like David W. Schoner Jr. argue — quite reasonably, if you ask me — that scouting is visual authorship. Scouts are the ones who decide whether a love story unfolds in a Parisian café or in a laundromat that smells faintly of despair. But the Academy — bless those sequined tuxedos — still acts as if locations just fall from the sky like perfectly lit meteorites.

Existing Recognition (Sort of)

Sure, there are awards. The Location Managers Guild International hands out trophies. California has COLA (sadly not the drink, but the California On Location Awards). And the Ischia Film Festival in Italy even gives out a prize for the best narrative use of a location.

Lovely. But let’s be honest: until a scout is walking across that Oscar stage with a thank-you speech in one pocket and a property owner’s signed permit in the other, the recognition is more “regional karaoke night” than “Hollywood’s highest honor.”

A Case for Creative Copyright

And here’s a fun twist: maybe scouting isn’t just award-worthy — maybe it’s copyright-worthy. Scouts produce original photographs, build curated archives, and make narrative suggestions that literally shape the film. If a storyboard sketch of a stick figure holding a sword counts as intellectual property, surely the scout’s carefully curated album of “perfect, yet affordable, medieval castles” should too.

Recognition Is Growing — Slowly

To be fair, respect is increasing. Platforms, guilds, and festivals are shining more light on scouts. But the pace is slower than waiting for George R.R. Martin to finish his next book.

What’s needed is not another polite round of applause in a hotel ballroom, but a dedicated Oscar. One shiny, golden man to say: “Yes, you matter. You found the diner. You made the fog look good. Without you, half of our movies would still be shot in the producer’s cousin’s backyard.”

Conclusion

Location scouts are not technicians. They are storytellers, mood-setters, and logistical miracle workers who convince grumpy café owners that, yes, having Tom Cruise run across their counter really will be good for business.

It’s high time the Academy acknowledged what we all know: the invisible art of location scouting is not just vital, it’s Oscar-worthy.

References:
The Guardian. AI and the Film Industry. (2024).
Massif Network. How AI is Changing Film Pre-Production. (2023).
Locamundo. The Digital Transformation of Location Scouting. (2025).
Evercast. Virtual Scouting in the Age of Remote Filmmaking. (2024).
Location Managers Guild International (LMGI). Awards and Recognition. (ongoing).
Ischia Film Festival. Aenaria Prize. (2023).