SCENE 01 / LOCATION SCOUTING SERVICES
Location Scouting Services
Find perfect filming locations across New York—from Manhattan to Brooklyn and beyond.
Finding the right location can make or break a production. That's why we've built a team of experienced scouts who know New York inside and out—from the iconic skyline of Manhattan to the brownstone-lined streets of Brooklyn. We handle everything: site research, logistics assessments, permit paperwork. You tell us what you're looking for, and we'll find it.
Over the years, we've put together a database of more than 5,000 locations across the five boroughs and surrounding areas. But we don't just hand you a list and wish you luck. Our scouts hit the ground to verify each site meets your specific needs, whether that's a pre-war Upper West Side apartment for your period piece or a sleek Hudson Yards rooftop for a fashion campaign.
What really sets us apart is our network. We've spent years building relationships with property owners, building managers, the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), and location managers across all five boroughs. New York is the most-filmed city in the world—and we know it block by block.
Our Location Scouting Services
Finding the right location can make or break a production. That's why we've built a team of experienced scouts who know New York inside and out—from the iconic skyline of Manhattan to the brownstone-lined streets of Brooklyn. We handle everything: site research, logistics assessments, permit paperwork. You tell us what you're looking for, and we'll find it.
Over the years, we've put together a database of more than 5,000 locations across the five boroughs and surrounding areas. But we don't just hand you a list and wish you luck. Our scouts hit the ground to verify each site meets your specific needs, whether that's a pre-war Upper West Side apartment for your period piece or a sleek Hudson Yards rooftop for a fashion campaign.
What really sets us apart is our network. We've spent years building relationships with property owners, building managers, the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), and location managers across all five boroughs. New York is the most-filmed city in the world—and we know it block by block.
Comprehensive Location Scouting Solutions
Expert location scouts with intimate knowledge of New York's diverse landscapes, urban environments, and cultural sites. Professional location services from initial scouting to production support with permits and logistics coordination.
Urban Locations
- • Modern cityscapes
- • Historic districts
- • Commercial areas
- • Residential neighborhoods
- • Industrial zones
Natural Landscapes
- • Coastal beaches
- • Mountain regions
- • Vineyard settings
- • Forest locations
- • River systems
Cultural Sites
- • Historic chateaux
- • Medieval architecture
- • Traditional villages
- • Museums
- • Heritage locations
Production Facilities
- • Studio spaces
- • Controlled environments
- • Green screen facilities
- • Equipment storage
- • Crew facilities
How We Work With You
Here's how we typically work with productions. You tell us what you're looking for, we go find it, and we handle all the headaches in between—permits, negotiations, logistics. By the time you show up to shoot, everything's ready.
Requirements Analysis
First things first—we sit down with you to understand exactly what you're after. We'll go through your script, look at reference images, talk about budget constraints, and nail down the visual style you're going for. No detail is too small at this stage.
Research & Reconnaissance
Our scouts will start their work after we determine what you require. Our team retrieves site options from the database followed by actual inspections at each location. Our team takes photos of every location from different perspectives while we record all essential operational details including power availability and parking spaces and environmental conditions and daylight patterns.
Presentation & Selection
We put together a detailed presentation for each shortlisted location. You'll get professional photos, logistical breakdowns, estimated costs, and info on what permits we'll need. Most clients find exactly what they want within the first round of options.
Coordination & Securing
Once you've made your choice, we handle the rest. We negotiate fees with property owners, coordinate access schedules, manage contracts, and secure all necessary permits. By the time your crew arrives, everything's sorted and ready to go.
You'll have a single point of contact throughout—someone who knows your project and can give you straight answers when things change. And things always change.
What We Bring to the Table
Years of boots-on-the-ground experience across New York, a database we've built from scratch, and the kind of local connections that take time to develop.
Our Resources
5,000+ Locations On File
We've been building this database for years. Every entry has photos, GPS coordinates, notes on access and power, and info on what time of year works best. It's not just a list—it's institutional knowledge.
On-Site Technical Surveys
Before we recommend anywhere, we check it ourselves. Power capacity, truck access, parking situation, ambient noise—the stuff that matters when you're actually trying to shoot there.
Permit Handling
New York bureaucracy can be... New York. We deal with the permit applications, the property releases, the back-and-forth with local officials. You shouldn't have to.
Scouting Statistics
Why Choose Fixers in New York for Location Scouting
Local Expertise
Our scouts developed their lives within this location. The locals possess knowledge about all the rural paths which lead to secret gardens and concealed towns that most visitors fail to discover. Our local knowledge enables us to provide locations which you cannot find elsewhere.'t see in any other production's portfolio.
Complete Documentation
Every location report we deliver is thorough enough to hand directly to your line producer. The document includes technical specifications together with permit requirements and access routes and information about nearby facilities.'s all there, organized and ready to use.
Rapid Response
Sometimes plans change at the last minute. We get it. That's why we offer 48-hour turnaround on location reports and emergency scouting services when you need to pivot quickly during production.
Cultural Heritage Access
Getting permission to film at UNESCO sites, historic chateaux, or national monuments isn't easy—but we've done it dozens of times. We know the application process, the right contacts, and how to present your project in a way that gets approvals.
On Location
Vetted New York locations from Manhattan rooftops to Coney boardwalk
Scouting in New York rewards local knowledge as much as a deep database. Our team works a catalogue of more than five thousand pre-scouted sites across the five boroughs. But every recommendation begins with a fresh visit so we can confirm light direction, ambient noise, vehicle access and the realities of MOME permitting before a shortlist lands on your line producer's desk.
We move quickly through Manhattan's contrasting neighbourhoods — the cast-iron blocks of SoHo and Tribeca, the pre-war stock of the Upper West Side, the loft canyons of the Garment District, the wrap-around glass of Hudson Yards — and out to Brooklyn's brownstone rows in Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights, the cobblestone DUMBO frame onto the Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg's industrial waterfront, Queens' varied street life in Astoria, Long Island City and Flushing, and the boardwalk grain of Coney Island.
Iconic backdrops bring their own protocols. Central Park's Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace and Belvedere Castle each need coordination with NYC Parks and the Central Park Conservancy; Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station and the bridges into Manhattan loop in MTA, Port Authority and NYPD movie set details; and any aerial work clears FAA airspace around LaGuardia, JFK, Newark or Teterboro. Our scouts deliver production-ready packages inside forty-eight hours with daylight studies, power and parking notes, COI needs and backup plan plans for nor'easter cycles and summer heat.
Long-standing relationships with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, the Brooklyn Film Office, building managers across Class A office stock and homeowners in the Hudson Valley, Catskills, Hamptons and Westchester mean the locations we recommend are achievable inside the schedule and the NYS Film Tax Credit envelope you are working to.
FAQ
Location Scouting FAQ
Essential information for planning your location scouting project in New York.
How long does location scouting take in New York?
It really depends on what you're looking for. A straightforward commercial shoot? We can usually turn around options in 2-3 days. Feature films typically need 1-2 weeks of dedicated scouting to cover all the scenes. Documentaries fall somewhere in between—usually 3-7 days. And if you're in a bind, we offer emergency scouting with 24-48 hour delivery.
What permits are required for filming at New York locations?
The particular permit requirements depend on your production site location and its dimensions. Local authorities require all public areas to obtain permission for filming through a filming permit. The owners of private properties need to provide release forms for their properties. Historical monuments and UNESCO sites have their own application process through cultural affairs offices. We handle all of this for you—it's one of the main reasons productions hire us.
What are typical location scouting costs in New York?
The cost for basic day-rate scouting operations ranges between $300 and $500 for each day of operation. The company offers complete packages which combine service for multiple sites together with documentation support and permit management assistance. You're looking at $1,500-$6,000 depending on scope. Remote locations add to the cost—figure $800-$2,500 per day for mountain or rural scouting. Permit fees themselves range from $150 to $1,500 depending on the site.
Can you scout locations in remote areas of New York?
We have several preferred destinations which exist outside of typical tourist areas. We regularly scout in the Catskills, along the Long Island coast, in rural Upstate, and throughout Upstate New York. Our team performs accessibility evaluations for distant production locations while we handle equipment movement and find suitable housing for crew members working in the area.
How many location options will we receive?
For each scene or setup you need, we typically present 3-5 vetted options. These aren't just random suggestions—every location we show you has been checked for logistics, permit availability, and budget fit. We'd rather give you fewer, better options than overwhelm you with places that won't actually work.
What documentation do you provide for each location?
The location packages contain multiple high-resolution photos taken from different perspectives together with technical survey data about power infrastructure and access points and facility details and logistics information which includes parking details and service locations and site restrictions. The system provides site maps together with shooting position recommendations which depend on lighting conditions for all complex locations.
Related Services
Productions in New York that need this often pair it with Local Fixer Services, Production Budgeting Services, and Production Scheduling Services for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Pre-Production Services and Travel Coordinator.
On Set
Ready to Discover Perfect Locations?
Let's find the backdrop your project deserves. Get in touch and tell us what you're looking for—we'll take it from there.