Locations

How to Manage Locations

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Locations in Dramatify form a living backbone for your production. They power call sheets, weather forecasts, driving directions, stripboards, scheduling, and a wide constellation of automatic features. This guide explains how locations work, how to add and refine them, and how to stay in control as your scouting and production evolve.

Location management basics

A location can be any of the following types: shooting locations, unit bases (production offices), facilities, transport hubs, accommodation, and medical emergency locations.

Shooting locations can have several alternative locations attached (see below), whereas the other types have only one address. Unit bases and medical emergency locations can only be linked to shooting locations.

Access

  • To view Locations, users need Read-only access to Locations.
  • To create, add, edit, and delete Locations, users need Full access or Tailored access with full access to Locations. Users can also add locations from the Location bank.
  • To view and edit locations in the company location bank, users must be either a company administrator or have the Locations permission set in the company section (People » User » Change access to company features » Locations).

Workflows

Locations, and especially shooting locations, are often added and managed iteratively, meaning that they are often created as a placeholder with a title of what the location scout should look for (”Main venue”, “Beautiful beach”, “Mom’s kitchen”).

Information can then be added as the project proceeds. Valuable information, along with geographical information, includes parking, power supplies/fuse boxes and their locations, water, restroom locations, etc. Location maps showing the locations of these facilities can be uploaded.

For shooting locations, alternate shooting locations can be added for the director to choose between. Switching from one alternative to another is a single click, updating all associated location information in scheduling, stripboards, call sheets, reports, etc.

Adding and editing information

You can edit all information on the location page, except the Sets & Dates section. This section is automatically updated as sets are linked to locations and shooting scheduling (Planning » Scheduling) takes place.

Click the Edit Location button in the upper right corner to:

  • Change the location name Tip! In early pre-production, you can use placeholders like “Beautiful forest”, “Medieval street”, or “1930s apartment” and rename them later.
  • Add or edit the description A flexible text field that can begin as scouting instructions and later be updated with call sheet directions and practical information.
  • Set estimated dates Estimated dates for this location. Actual shooting dates will be added automatically from the shooting schedule.
  • Work status Use the work status to communicate completion status with your team and director.
  • Unit base Link to an existing unit base or create a new one. Only available for shooting locations.
  • Medical emergency location Link to an existing medical emergency location or create a new one. Only available for shooting locations.
  • Location Manager Link to an existing location manager added in the Crew section.
  • Update message Update your team about important changes to the location. Update messages will be visible on the dashboard and in the Update section to users with permission.
  • Delete location Delete the location from the production.

Edit the primary location

  • Upload images Drag’n’drop or click the Select images button to upload images. You will see an input box for image captions. Click uploaded images to view as a slide show, as well as add or edit captions and delete images.
  • Click the Edit icon to the right of the images to:
    • Change the name of the physical shooting location.
    • Add a description of the physical shooting location.
    • Add an address, either by street address or by map input.
    • Location type: Studio or location
    • Check if a signed release or permit is required. When checked, this will be red-marked until a document is uploaded. It will also be visible in the Daily Production Report on days the location is used.
    • Add contact information

Add a location alternative

On the location page, scroll down and click Physical location alternatives. Here, you can add one or more alternative locations, either new locations or imported from the location bank, with the same information as the primary location.

Switch the primary location, which is the location shown in scheduling, call sheets, reports, etc., by clicking the blue Select [location name] as preferred alternative button. The alternative will then replace your primary location at the top, while the previous primary location will automatically move down to the Physical Location Alternatives section.

Deleting locations

How you delete a location depends on your preferred outcome:

  • Removing the location listing entirely: On the location page, click the Edit location button, then Delete in the lower-left corner. This will remove the listing and all location alternatives from the project. If location alternatives are used in other location listings, they will remain in both the location listings and the location bank.
  • Removing a location alternative: Click the Edit icon on the primary location or the physical location alternative you want to remove, then Delete in the lower-left corner. This will only remove that physical location from the location listing. If the physical location (or alternative) is used in other location listings, they will remain in both the location listings and the location bank.

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