The project brief that calls for a kitchen – what next?

Some key considerations when choosing a kitchen location include functionality, visual style/ personality, production logistics and, most importantly, what your audience is truly looking for.

Cookery schools and studios often offer kitchen spaces for film and still photography hire – and while you know they’ll have the space to accommodate the crew, and function well, the visuals are limited and they won’t necessarily resonate with your audience. They’ll be lacking the personality (and the emotional connection) that our viewers want from us more and more.

Audiences today are looking for content that connects with them on a real, emotional level. They want genuine, authentic-feeling imagery/ video that looks beautiful too. And you, as the brand, want something that draws them in, resonates with them and leaves a memorable impression.

To do that you need a location that aligns tightly with the brand’s story, its aesthetic and its visual identity. In order to tell the story well, you might want a space that feels aspirational, or you may be looking for something more relatable and down-to-earth. The space should feel like a natural extension of brand values, whether that’s family-focused, polished modern living, or artisanal craftsmanship. Whatever it is you’re looking for, you can be sure to find it within SoScout’s curated directory.

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What’s Central to the Kitchen-Based Brief?

If cookery demos or recipe-led content are on the cards, island hobs are crucial so that the content is grounded within the kitchen and there are no risks of anyone showing their back to the camera. This gives easy access to natural interaction and a variety of angles that show the action, all in the beautiful characterful surrounds of a curated kitchen.

It’s also important to consider the breadth of content that’s required – kitchen-based content may require a dining set up or a cosy snug/ seating area to help maximise the content you get from one shoot – and these additional areas might be required to be tonally very similar to the kitchen, or very different. Each brief has its own requirements, and we’re here to help you fulfil them!

Here’s a Look at Some of Our Central-Hob Kitchens:

SoScout Locations Bring Character

If the central hob is not your top priority, then personality and character will be. You’ll be looking for something really aspirational for a luxury brand or product – a space with high-end finishes, stunning details or unique features that most people don’t have in their own home. Desire is ignited because of the luxury and the polish, but it still feels real, and achievable.

… even when the brief calls for ‘an ordinary family home’ it still needs to look good.

More family-driven brands will want to work in kitchens that are still interesting and curated, but just not quite as polished. These homes are more relatable, and are more about authenticity than perfection – the vibe is more ‘this could be my kitchen’ rather than, ‘oh, I’d love to live there’.

Of course, a lot of SoScout’s homes and kitchens are a hybrid of the two – they are homes and spaces that feel real and achievable, but elevated. They are usually well-designed, clearly loved and used, but also beautifully styled. Because, let’s face it, even when the brief calls for ‘an ordinary family home’ it still needs to look good.

Whatever aesthetic you’re pursuing, SoScout’s curated directory offers carefully selected authentic home kitchens that align with different brand stories and creative visions. We’ve broken them down by aesthetics, plenty of these examples have central hobs also.

Cottage-Core Kitchens

Textured Modern Kitchens

Luxe Eclectic Kitchens

Industrial-Vibe Kitchens

Traditional Style Kitchens

Production Logistics

Alongside fulfilling the aesthetic aspect of the brief, production logistics are just as important. Production crews will have specific requirements for access, noise, set-up or staging and power – these are all provided with the property’s individual profile.

SoScout properties are often family homes, each of our property profiles lists the accessible and off-limits areas in each home and the house rules for each location. Local catering options are listed also – because while food preparation, heating and cooking can happen as part of a food brand shoot with prior arrangement, it’s a firm no for crew! Larger productions will use catering trucks and if the property is hired for an event, there is usually space for a food truck service on site.

When working in a SoScout property, you’re not just hiring a location, you’re being welcomed into a home that holds memories, family traditions, and daily routines. Our homeowners are excited to share their property with you, to help bring creative projects to life – and this space sharing comes with responsibilities that extend far beyond typical studio etiquette. Clean-up will be proportional to how extensively you’ve used the space and appliances – and homeowners will expect their kitchen to be left in the same condition as you found it in the first place, with the utmost care taken of every item.

Treating their homes with the same care you’d want for your own space ensures positive experiences for everyone involved and helps build the trust that makes authentic location work possible.

Evaluating potential spaces

When scouting directly for a kitchen location, the checklist will be extensive and detailed. The scout will make detailed evaluations based on the project brief and their experience. SoScout locations have all already met our baseline requirements –

• the property has visual appeal and unique characterful features
• the location will add value to a production
• the logistics are manageable and available for review (parking, accessibility, crew facilities, noise etc)
• the kitchen photographs well and is well-maintained
• the homeowner is not only open to filming in their home, but they are educated in what to expect and how to manage a shoot on site and, of course,
• there are clear agreements in place

Additionally, and depending on the brief, the questions you’ll have to answer are:

• Does it align with the brand’s personality and visual identity?
• Are there other parts of the property that are needed or can be used for additional content, establishing shots or contextual elements – ie dining tables, living spaces, outdoor areas?

And of course, everything else that goes with a brilliant, high quality production!

Some of our kitchens in action

SoScout kitchens (and dining tables!)

We have more in-depth kitchen profiles available, get in touch with us and share your brief so that we can find your brand’s kitchen soulmate!

hello@soscout.com

Start planning your next shoot right now with SoScout.