How Google Streetview Can Help Indie Filmmakers

Obvious statement alert! An integral part of making a film is finding and securing locations to shoot at. This process is called location scouting, and I'm told top-notch location scouts get paid upward of $3,000 a week** or more for their services.

That's a lot of money.

I don't know about you, but we certainly can't afford to forfeit our weekly coffee budget to pay some guy to drive around and take photos*.  As for scouting ourselves, we can barely afford the gas and time!  Enter Google Streetview.

From the comfort of your own slouchy desk chair, you can now walk the streets of nearly any city in the world. Again, this is nothing new, but think of the implications for filmmakers!

Hmm, if only I knew of a nice old farm to shoot at, preferably one where the home is up against the road - oh wait: there it is.

Hmm, if only I could find a cool-looking concrete-encased riverbed with a bridge over it - oh wait: there it is. 

Hmm, if only I could find a yard with a gigantic raw chicken in it - oh wait:

The list goes on. Technology can save indie filmmakers money AND enable them to stay slouched in their editing suites for even more time. And that's what filmmaking's all about: being creative.

*This is not an accurate summary of a professional location scout.


**I had first erroneously posted that the rate is upwards of $3K / DAY. Not so. That would be insane.

Meet the cast: Theodore Bouloukos

Coming all the way up from New York City to shoot with us, we're very excited to have Theodore on board. Theodore has a resume as thick as his beard and has been featured in films that have played all over the world. Theodore will be playing Rick, Amy's unstable and embittered father. We've checked out much of Theo's considerable reel and knew that he could act. Several Skype rehearsals later and we know that he's going to be absolutely sublime! Check out more of Theo at his facebook fanpage.

Meet the cast: Myra Segal

Myra from a previous role. "Hitchhiker" 

Coming all the way from Montreal, Myra is playing the role of Becky, Rick's girlfriend and Amy's wannabe step-mother. We recently had Myra come down to Kitchener for two days of rehearsals and she knocked it out of the park (as we knew she would)!

Stay tuned for more cast and crew introductions!

Introducing... THE VOLUNTEER

We are making a movie!

I don't even know where to begin. So for now, watch this:



We want to make a film about real life, as Jon put it.  Sometimes we go to the movies to escape real life and sometimes we go to the movies to be reminded of the humour,

In the beginning

Welcome to the Rosco Films maiden blog post! For the next 6 months or more, most of what you'll be seeing here is our progress on the production of our feature film project, THE VOLUNTEER.  Eventually you'll be seeing other things like "5 Films Everybody Hates But I Love" and stuff like that.

From now on, the posts will only get better, if you can imagine such a thing. For now, please check out our website at roscofilms.com

-Ken