UNIT BASES: A GUIDE
Unit bases are instrumental parts of film and television production, providing critical resources and space to support cast and crew. The film industry in London has a high demand for unit bases, where production teams can gather and rest between shooting shots. Here, we explore the importance of unit bases in London’s film industry. Let’s dive in!
Key Facts:
Unit bases are temporary, multipurpose spaces used for all the behind the scenes work of film production. It is where the cast and crew will eat, hair and make-up will be done, kit will be stored, admin will be organised and talent will rest.
These integral areas are ideally found within 1-2 miles of a shoot location for larger productions, which can mean that they can make or break the decision to choose one film location over another.
The ideal unit base will be a large concreted area suitable for heavy vehicle parking (think trailers, trucks etc.), with access to office style production rooms and under covered areas suitable for eating and resting.
Unit bases are surprisingly difficult to source due to the spatial demands, high footfall and proximity needs of shoots. If you are sitting on your own urban carpark in central London then you should seriously consider registering your space with an agency like Silverstein Locations to sweat that invaluable asset.
There are very well known unit bases around London and the UK, such as Clapham Common, Canary Wharf/Docklands and Heathrow, these sites are in high demand however and can cost a pretty penny. For location agencies, unit bases are where the good money can be made, as big productions are likely to hire these spaces for weeks if not months on end.
When traveling around London or the UK, keep your eyes peeled for fluorescent arrows stuck on poles, walls and fences. These signs will usually be in yellow, pink, orange or green and have ‘LOC’ written on them, indiction the direction of a nearby unit base in use.
The more a unit base can offer, the more in demand it is going to be, however for the right location distance, a unit base could really be a paddock or empty concrete slab. Productions can facilitate their own generators and portable toilets if need be.
When we think of film locations, we think of the superstar scene setters of the location world, but for most large scale productions, unit bases are as important as the creative locations in the film and finding the right one for the right fee can be hard. If you are looking for a unit base for a current production then feel free to check out some of the exclusive and unique spaces in our collection. Otherwise remember to look for proximity, heavy vehicle parking and multipurpose spaces.
