A typical exchange of promotional services is as follows: in exchange for the equivalent of one page of advertising, the Tourist Organization will provide free hotel rooms and food for the duration of the shoot, along with a trans later (if required), and ground transportation like vans. The airline will typically provide free air travel for the group to the site, and most importantly, waive any overweight charges for luggage. (Photographic equipment and merchandise should accompany the crew on the actual flights, rather than be shipped ahead of time. This plan helps the customs clearance procedure, and discourages theft in airports under the watchful eyes of the
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entourage.) An ample amount of research on the country should be done in advance by the art director. We rarely have the luxury of an advance scouting trip to foreign countries to arrange and select locations, so the research will be helpful and will save time in setting up shootings. Public libraries are the best source for this research, providing lots of information and photographs of landmarks, special sites, terrain, weather conditions, customs and tradi tions, transportation, language, foods, exchange rates, etc. Public health offices in all major U.S. cities will provide information regarding any necessary
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inoculations, and Passport Offices will inform you if visas are required. Approved budgets for location shoots should be carefully monitored. Allowances for unexpected expenses incurred during travel need to be included as a contingency fee. Budget “surprises” are usually not pleasant ones. Coming in over budget may eliminate the possibility of subsequent location trips. Careful planning and execution of details will assure the catalog company and participating organizations that the shoot will go well...on schedule, on budget and with the desired end results.
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