Registering Your Property on BC’s Location Photo Database
The BC Film Commission keeps an extensive library of potential locations from across the province. It’s easy and free to register your home, office or property.
It's a tough audition - only a small number of locations considered are selected - but it's worth the effort.
Digital Library Policy
In the best interest of protecting the security of residential and business owners who have entrusted their properties to our care, the BC Film Commission’s digital in-house library, FILM Director, is only available to experienced film industry professionals, employed on a current motion picture project. Access to FILM Director is only available at the BCFC offices and not possible online via the web.
All professionals must sign a ‘Terms of Use’ Agreement before being assigned a user name and password for access to FILM Director database. All users are required to sign-in at the BCFC offices each time they use the library.
Film production locations in the BCFC digital library are listed with the expectation that they will experience a professional level of expertise and reasonable revenue and that their secure information will only be shared with experienced film professionals.
For further information about film production, what to expect & best practices, see our Location Resource Guide and the “Filming in Your Community” section of our web site.
How to Register
The first step is to create a digital "photofile" of your property – a virtual tour in pictures. It’s best to use a digital camera, although you can use a standard camera as long as you save the final pictures digitally on a CD. If you don’t know how to do this yourself, your local photo lab or camera shop can do it for you.
The following Photofile Guidelines describe the process for documenting a residential property. Please follow these guidelines for all property types you wish to register, as the same principles apply for effective documentation.
Photofile Guidelines
1. Photograph your property using the widest shots possible.
• Start with the outside of your house.
• Shoot your neighbourhood street looking both ways.
• Take a wide shot of the house, driveway and yard.
• Take a wide shot of the back yard and back of house.
2. Next shoot the inside of the house one room at a time.
• Pay attention to any special features (bay windows, indoor pool, stairway).
• Try to duplicate the experience of someone arriving at the location walking through the building.
• Stand on one side of the room you are photographing and take a picture.
• Next, take a "reverse" shot by walking over to the opposite side of the room and take a photograph of the area you were just standing in.• Show entrances in your photos if possible.
3. Save each image onto a CD as a JPEG file.
• Make sure you label each location image accordingly (eg. "kitchen.jpg," "bathroom.jpg," "back view.jpg").
• Please do NOT add any text directly onto a photo, we are unable to use any images containing text.
• Be sure you label your CD with contact information using a permanent marker.
• PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept images submitted in PowerPoint or any other format other than individual JPEG files.
4. You must include a signed and dated copy of the release and consent form with your CD, otherwise we cannot use your location photos.
• To obtain a printed copy of the consent and release, please click here.
• Remember to save all photos as JPEG's, and do not include more than one location in a file.
• Please remember to provide contact information including the property owner or authorized person, phone numbers including cell number, address and postal code with your photofile.
5. Please submit your CD of Photofiles by mail or drop them off at our office:
BC Film Commission
Attn: Digital Library
#201 - 865 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2G3
