Writes a structured brief for filming locations covering visual/narrative requirements, logistics, permissions, and contingency planning.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/autopunk-media-skills:location-scout-briefThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Writes a structured brief for filming a specific location, covering visual and narrative requirements, logistics, permissions, and contingency planning.
Writes a structured brief for filming a specific location, covering visual and narrative requirements, logistics, permissions, and contingency planning.
Required: The location (type and approximate geography); the scenes or sequences you intend to film there; the film or story context Optional: The crew size; the intended shooting style (observational, interview, aerial, reconstruction); specific equipment (large lights, cranes, drones); seasonal or time-of-day requirements; any known sensitivities (active business, private land, protected site)
Structured brief, 700–950 words. Sections: Location Function (narrative role), Visual Requirements, Logistics and Access, Permissions and Clearances, Potential Problems and Contingencies, and a Site Visit Checklist (numbered, actionable items the scout walks through on location). Practical, production-standard language — suitable for handing to a line producer or location manager.
Each brief MUST include a Site Visit Checklist — a numbered list the scout, director, or line producer can walk through on location with a phone and a tape measure. Items should be physically verifiable on site rather than abstractly described. Use this template, tailored to the specific location and production:
Visual and framing
Light and sound 6. Measure or estimate ambient light levels at intended shooting hours (use a light meter or smartphone app). Note direction, color temperature, and consistency. 7. Identify all sources of artificial light that will affect the shot and confirm whether they can be controlled (turned on/off, dimmed, gelled). 8. Listen for ambient and intermittent sound for at least 5 minutes per priority space: HVAC, traffic, planes, public-address systems, scheduled events, neighboring construction. Record a 60-second wild-track sample. 9. Identify the quietest and noisiest hours of the location's daily and weekly cycle from the property contact.
Access and logistics 10. Walk the route from the nearest crew parking to the filming position. Time it carrying typical equipment cases. Photograph any stairs, narrow doorways, locked doors, or elevators that affect equipment movement. 11. Confirm crew vehicle parking — number of spaces, time limits, permits required, and any nearby alternatives. 12. Identify the nearest mains power outlets and confirm whether they are live, the circuit capacity, and whether the property contact will permit their use. If filming relies on battery power, identify a battery-charging space within walking distance. 13. Identify a holding area or green room for crew, talent, and waiting subjects — heated/cooled, with restroom access. 14. Identify and photograph the nearest restrooms accessible to the production. 15. Identify a sheltered fallback location within 5 minutes' walk for outdoor shoots that may need to relocate due to weather.
Permissions and risk 16. Confirm in writing the name of the location agreement signatory and obtain their direct contact (email + phone). 17. Confirm whether the property has an existing risk assessment, fire safety plan, and evacuation route the production must follow. 18. Identify any restricted or off-limits areas inside the location and photograph them so the crew can be briefed before arrival. 19. Confirm the security or supervision arrangement during filming — will a property representative be on site? Is one required? 20. Confirm the curfew or end-of-day cutoff and any condition that would trigger early termination of access.
Continuity and recovery 21. Photograph the location's "neutral" state at the start of the scout (before any equipment is moved) so the production can return it to that state at wrap. 22. Identify the location's nearest hospital, urgent care, and 24-hour pharmacy. Add to the production's emergency information sheet. 23. Confirm cellular coverage (which carriers work, which do not). Identify the nearest landline or reliable Wi-Fi if cellular is unreliable. 24. Photograph a documentation set for the production schedule annex: exterior approach, all entry points used, every filmed space, every staging area. 25. Note in the scouting log: "If only one piece of equipment can be brought, it is X" — this captures the location's most production-critical attribute.
The checklist should be tailored to the specific location — items 1–25 are the standard set, but production type (observational vs. interview vs. drone), location type (decommissioned industrial site vs. operating business vs. private home), and risk profile (heritage protection, hazardous materials, active operations) will add specific items. The brief should add at least 3 location-specific checklist items beyond the standard 25.
Location: A decommissioned coal-fired power station on the edge of a mid-size industrial city. The production has been granted provisional access but needs to formally notify the property management company about filming requirements. Scenes: Establishing shots of the exterior; observational walk-through with a former plant engineer (the film's main subject); one sit-down interview inside the turbine hall Film context: Feature documentary about the energy transition and the communities built around fossil fuel industries Crew: Director, two camera operators, sound recordist, production coordinator. No large lighting rigs; natural light preferred. Shooting style: Observational and interview
Location Scout Brief — Decommissioned Coal Power Station Documentary: Energy Transition Feature Film
Location Function
This location serves three narrative purposes: (1) establishing the industrial scale of what is being lost — its visual mass is the physical argument for the community's sense of displacement; (2) giving the main subject, a former plant engineer, a concrete environment in which his expertise and memory can be activated through space rather than just words; (3) providing the visual contrast at the film's emotional center — a working environment that no longer works.
Visual Requirements
Logistics and Access
Permissions and Clearances
Potential Problems and Contingencies
Problem 1 — Access revoked or delayed: Property management companies sometimes add conditions after provisional agreement. Contingency: identify a second industrial or post-industrial location within the same region that can serve the narrative function — a redundant power station, a decommissioned factory, or a mine surface works.
Problem 2 — Interior light insufficient for observational filming: High windows in turbine halls can provide dramatic but unpredictable light. If natural light is inadequate on the filming day, the interview and walk-through may need to be relocated to an exterior courtyard or structured around a bright overcast day. Assess light levels at the scout visit at the same time of day as the intended filming call.
Problem 3 — Structural safety assessment restricts access to key areas: Heritage or decommissioned industrial sites sometimes limit access to specific zones. Identify early which areas are unrestricted and plan the filming sequences around confirmed access rather than assumed access.
Site Visit Checklist — Decommissioned Coal Power Station
Visual and framing
Light and sound 6. Take light meter readings at the interview position at the same time of day as the shoot, in both turbine hall and control room. Note minimum reading vs. recommended exposure for the chosen camera. 7. Identify whether any high-window light sources can be diffused, blocked, or supplemented; note any windows that have been boarded or broken. 8. Sit silently in the turbine hall for 5 minutes at the intended shoot hour. Log every audible sound: wind through structures, metal expansion/contraction, residual HVAC, distant traffic, birds nesting in the rafters. Record a 60-second wild track. 9. Ask the property contact when the site is at its quietest — likely early morning before the security patrol shift; confirm whether filming during the patrol pass would be disruptive.
Access and logistics 10. Walk the route from the cleared production-vehicle entrance to the turbine hall. Time it carrying a 60-pound case. Photograph any locked doors, narrow passages, or stairs affecting equipment movement. 11. Confirm crew parking: number of spaces, position, lockable, and whether the access road is wide enough for the production vehicle. 12. Confirm there is no live mains power. Identify a charging station off-site (the production company office or hotel) and plan battery rotation accordingly. 13. Identify a heated holding area for crew (the property management office's portable cabin if available; otherwise the production vehicle). 14. Confirm the nearest functioning restroom — likely off-site at the property management gatehouse; brief the crew on the walk distance. 15. Identify a covered fallback for the exterior shots if heavy rain forecasts materialize on shoot day (the gatehouse cover or a nearby industrial lobby).
Permissions and risk 16. Obtain in writing the name and direct contact of the property management signatory authorized to sign the location agreement. Confirm response time for last-minute changes. 17. Request a copy of the property's existing risk assessment for filming and confirm whether the production must submit its own. 18. Photograph the boundaries of any restricted zones (asbestos abatement areas, structurally unsound floors, energized equipment if any survives). Confirm in writing what the boundaries are. 19. Confirm whether a property representative or security officer must be on site during filming, and whether their time is billable to the production. 20. Confirm the access end-time (typical for decommissioned industrial: dusk or earlier per insurance terms).
Continuity and recovery 21. Photograph the turbine hall in its current state before any equipment is moved; this is the wrap-state reference image. 22. Note the nearest hospital and 24-hour pharmacy; both are typically 10–15 minutes from suburban industrial sites — confirm and add to the call sheet. 23. Test cellular coverage in the turbine hall for each carrier likely used by the crew; metal roofs and concrete walls often kill signal. Identify a nearby outdoor spot with reliable signal. 24. Photograph the full route: approach road, gate, parking, walk to turbine hall, control room, exterior cooling-tower view, fallback positions. This becomes the production schedule annex. 25. Log the location's most production-critical attribute. For this site: "If only one piece of equipment can be brought, it is the lighting kit — natural light alone may be insufficient for the planned interview composition."
Site-specific additions
Next Step: Schedule the site visit at the same hour as the intended shoot call this week, with the DP, sound recordist, and director attending. Bring a light meter, tape measure, smartphone for ambient-sound recording, and a camera for the framing reference set. Before the visit, request the asbestos survey and existing risk assessment from property management in writing — these are the gating documents for crew entry and must be in hand before any filming day is locked.
npx claudepluginhub ur-grue/autopunk-media-skills --plugin autopunk-media-skillsEvaluates and ranks filmed interview locations by visual fit, acoustics, access, and narrative alignment. Use during pre-production for recce or location scouting.
Organizes every camera setup into a structured shot list for film pre-production, following ASC/DGA standards. Use when planning a shoot and need scene-by-scene coverage, shot parameters, and setup sequencing.
Creates, edits, and optimizes skills for Claude Code, including drafting, evaluating with test prompts, iterating on performance, and improving skill descriptions for better triggering accuracy.