Why do we do a recce?

Here is a visual representation of why we do a recce, above are all of the things you have to look for and think about when you go to a location that may possibly be the location for your filming.

Comparing locations
We looked at two different locations with the intention of finding a setting for a romantic sci-fi film. 

The first location was a play park. It was a slightly larger location that covered a wider area of varied land, by this I mean that there were different slopes, hills and craters with trees mainly around the outside. As it's a play park, it comes filled with different play equipment that may or may not be suitable for you film, with the play equipment there you would have to fit it into your film somehow. This location was very close to a busy road, meaning that there was a lot of noise from traffic which would interfere with the filming unless you wanted a busy traffic filled scene. 

In my opinion I think that the second location we looked at would be more suitable. The space was more empty an open, there were a few slopes that would look good as craters in a sic-fi film but they wouldn't be a hindrance if you just wanted a large, flat, open space. As this is an open area of grass, there is no play park equipment meaning that it's down to the director and gives the director more freedom when it comes to bringing in props and building up the scene, as the only existing features that would have to be included are the trees and surrounding houses. The sound at this location would also be better because it's not next to a busy road, however wen we went to look at the location there were dustbin trucks that were an eyesore and main an unpleasant sound.

Whenever you do a recce at a location for your film, you will almost definitely find cons about the area but if you're willing to improvise you can overcome these issues. You have to weigh up the pros and cons of each location and chose the one that suits your film the best and is the most practical when it comes to transporting a cast and crew, accessing power and sanitation and lighting and weather issues. I feel that there should always be some flexibility in the script that gives you room the alter some aspects of the film to fit with a location if the perfect location isn't available to you at the right time.