Film Locations Glossary
Door knock
What is a door knock?
Also called canvass, or door-to-door notification.
A door knock is the in-person visit a locations team makes to every affected neighbor before filming, explaining what will happen, when, and who to call.
It is more effective than a letter drop because it surfaces the objections early, while the schedule can still absorb them. The list of who was spoken to, and what was promised, belongs in the file.
Example
Forty addresses are knocked a week before a night shoot. Two residents object, one because of a night-shift sleeper and one over a driveway. Both are solved by moving the generator and reserving two spaces, before the permit application goes in.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
Done by the locations team in person, with a record of who was spoken to and what was promised.
Common mistake
Posting letters instead of knocking. A letter drop satisfies the paperwork; a door knock surfaces the night-shift sleeper and the driveway problem while the schedule can still absorb them.
Related questions
- Why knock doors instead of sending letters?
- Because objections surface in conversation and can be solved. A letter produces silence followed by a complaint on the shoot day.
- How far ahead should neighbors be visited?
- At least as far ahead as the permit's notice period, and earlier where the permit depends on signed resident consent.