Many of us are justifiably proud of our homes – we put time, money and effort into making them just as we want them. Sometimes it would be nice if your home could make a bit of money for you as well as being a wonderful place to live. There are a few ideas out there about how to do this but one that has the real wow-factor is the idea of your home being used as a film or TV show location. So how does this work?
The hunt for film locations
In recent years, film and TV production companies have realized that it is a lot more cost effective to rent a house to film in that to create an entire set to look like one. This has given rise to the phenomena of real people’s homes being used in big budget films and TV shows.
For example, one home in North Carolina has featured in the horror films The Conjuring and I Know What You Did Last Summer as well the Sleepy Hollow TV series. The house is a real log cabin with the whole weathered look and remote location that is ideal for spooky scenes.
The hunt for filming locations can take crews around the world to get just the right spot. They may want a stretch of beach in Greece and a house nearby. Rather than travel to Greece to film the beach then back to the studio for the house, they will see about renting the right property near the beach for the filming.
What can you earn?
Amounts that you can earn vary according to the size of the project and how long they need your home but some companies pay as much as $500-1500 a day while some prime locations have been known to get $35,000. A lot of it depends on what is happening in the script and how potentially destructive it might be too!
Another option is to get a repeat job with a TV show that would regularly use your home for small or larger sections on the show. If you manage to land this kind of opportunity, then you might need to make alternative accommodations for longer periods so consider if this would suit your lifestyle before you begin.
Work with a specialist
Filming location specialists are the best people to work with. Not only do they know people in the industry to get the opportunities, they can give you an honest assessment of how disruptive the process will be. It may sound great having George Clooney in your home but there’s a good chance you will be living in a hotel during filming. Make sure you understand what the process entails before signing up.