Filming & Production
On location
Also called: location shoot
On location means the environment is real and mostly out of your hands. You get production value you could never build. You also inherit everything else: traffic noise, changing daylight, strangers walking through the frame, and permission. Rules vary by place. Handheld filming in a UK public street is usually fine, while tripods, lights, crews, private property, stations and shopping centres generally need clearance. Scout in advance at the same time of day you plan to shoot, record a minute of room tone before you go, and get more coverage than feels necessary, because coming back for one shot is expensive.