Stills on the Scout Taking photos during prep provides a valuable reference for creative discussion. By Ashley Barron, ACS S hooting reference stills during scouts is an important part of my process. Every project is different - sometimes I may not have much time at the location, and other times I can make multiple trips there with various members of the production team. No matter the frequency, there's always so much going on that I can forget what I've seen, so I " hose down " every location I visit with stills. I leave no stone unturned and no angle unexplored, whether I do it with a DSLR, an iPad or my phone. It's always been my belief that a movie is made in prep. It's better to have had the conversations and explored all the options before I'm fighting the clock - so when the " you know what " hits the fan, I'm wasting less time floundering and spending more time putting out fires in a way that serves our purpose. 48 / JUNE 2021 p.48-53 Locations_v3.indd 48 5/9/21 5:54 PM