Dear Property Owner,

Thank you for your interest in having your property listed as a potential filming location with the Film Rio Arriba digital location library.

Currently, we are asking any farm, ranch, home or business owner who wishes to have their location listed with the library to submit their photos digitally via CD-ROM.
Digital photo guidelines:

• Shoot single, high-resolution images in a landscape orientation: minimum 1600 x 1200 pixels at 180 dpi – check your owner’s manual for your camera’s particular specifications.
• Shoot both the interior and exterior of the property.  Remember to always include an establishing shot of the property shot from across the street, and a reverse of it shot from the property’s front door to show both the property itself and its immediate surroundings. Use the same rationale for the back of the property.
• Stand at one end of the room, off from the corner, when taking the photo, and then shoot a reverse from the opposite side of the room.
• Try to keep the horizon line even so the photos are not on an angle.  Using a tripod can be helpful if you have one.
• 20 to 30 photos are adequate for most locations. We will accept no more than 30 photos per location.
• Save photos as JPEGS at Maximum Quality. 
• When saving files, please name them in the order you shot them (1, 2, 3, etc.) and please match those numbers to your descriptions on the Image Description Form.
• Please label the CD with your location’s address, your name and contact number.
• Avoid shooting smaller rooms in which it would be hard to fit a camera crew. 
• There should be no people in any of your photos.
• Photos with date tags cannot be used. Please turn this option off on your camera when shooting your location.
• It is preferred if photos are NOT submitted in “Kodak Easy Share” format. 
• Please make sure photos are in focus and not blurry.
• Please note that if the photos are not shot properly, or do not follow the above guidelines, we will not be able to use them in our database.

Submitting your location:

• Burn JPEGS onto a labeled CD
• Fill out the Property Data Sheet and Image Description form
• Sign the Assignment of Copyright and Release Form
• Mail all of the above to: Locations Staff

NNMC/Rio Arriba Film Office Attn: Mateo Pumphrey921 Paseo de Onate Española, NM 87532
Your photos will be added to our library, and be available for viewing, printing and electronic distribution by location professionals worldwide seeking the perfect locations for their projects. They will contact you directly if they are interested in using your property for their production.

Please note that the listing of the digital photos specified in your Property Data Sheet on the RAFO digital library database is done entirely at your own risk and that your photos, once submitted, will become property of the RAFO and will not be returned to you.

Many thanks for your inquiry, and we look forward to seeing your location!

 

FAQs

You may have a number of questions regarding procedure, compensation, or how often your home might be used. Below is a list of these frequently asked questions to help you understand better how it works.

Q. How much will I get paid if my home is used for a film shoot?
A. The rate of compensation will vary depending on a number of factors. The type of project (e.g. feature film, commercial) and its budget will influence the amount that a production company will offer you in return for your home’s appearance onscreen.  Other factors may include the amount of space the film crew will occupy (if exterior only, compensation will be less than if its interior is also featured), whether the days in question are ‘prep’ days, ‘shoot’ days or ‘wrap’ days (shoot days will pay somewhat more than prep or wrap days), and the scale of the home and property (for instance, a large estate or luxury condo owner will be paid more for the use of their home than would a more modest or mid-scale home or apartment). A good ballpark range is anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per day.

Q. Will we have to move out or stay in a hotel while they’re shooting in our house?
A. Only if the budget of the production permits, and if the crew will be occupying your home for an extended period of time. This decision is usually made mutually between the location manager and the homeowner.

Q. How do I know if a production company is legitimate?
A. If you are new to renting your home out to production companies, some of the local company names may sound a little unfamiliar. That’s because in addition to the studio that is financing the production (e.g. Disney, Miramax), there is always a local production company established for the duration of pre-production and production (shooting). It will usually have a name that reflects the project name. If at any point you wish to verify the legitimacy of a production company or location manager that has approached you, feel free to call our office for a quick reference.  We work in conjunction with the majority of projects and have a professional relationship with most local location managers.

Q. How often can I expect my home to be used for filming?
A. The short answer to this is that we simply don’t know.  You might get fifteen calls a month, wait six months before you hear anything, or you may not be called at all. There are certain types of homes that get used more often than others, namely large or luxurious homes (as you’ve probably noticed, Hollywood usually reflects stereotypes rather than reality), but there are so many unpredictable factors that prevent us from knowing. This doesn’t mean that only large mansions will be used; many ordinary size houses appear in commercials and films all the time. Script requirements are ever-changing, the amount of filming going on is constantly fluctuating, there are volumes of house files in our library in all different shapes and sizes, and the RAFO cannot promote one house in favor of another.  Scouts choose their potential locations from which the producers and director will select, all outside of any one person’s or organization’s control.
Remember that hosting a film or television shoot can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but can hold some surprises if you’ve never done it before.
We’re glad to help explain any aspect of location filming, so please don’t hesitate to ask.

Rio Arriba Film Office Mateo Pumphrey921 Paseo de Onate Española, NM 87532505.747.5402
mateo@filmrioarriba.com

Thanks again for your inquiry, and we look forward to seeing your location!