FAQ
Production FAQs
Honest answers to the questions producers ask before booking a Cape Town shoot. Permits, crews, kit, locations, timelines, budgets and the rest of the work behind a production.
Where are you based? +
Cape Town, South Africa. We shoot across South Africa and route international productions through Cape Town when the brief calls for it.
Do you work with international clients? +
Yes. Most of our productions are for UK, EU and US brands. We handle inbound logistics, flights, visas, accommodation, ground transport, gear, crew, so the client arrives ready to shoot.
How early should we brief you? +
The earlier the better. A two-week pre-production window is workable for a one-day product shoot. A full campaign with international cast and multiple locations needs four to six weeks minimum.
What does a YLO production cost? +
We quote per project, not per day rate. Budget bracket starts around USD 5,000 for a one-day product shoot and scales into seven figures for multi-week, multi-location campaigns. Send a brief and we come back with a number inside a day.
How do you quote? +
Line-itemised, in the currency the client wants to invoice in. No mystery markups, no per-call billing.
Can you handle permits? +
Yes. Film permits, location permits, drone permits, public-space permits. We've worked with the City of Cape Town's permit office for years and know which sign-offs each location needs.
Do you supply crew? +
Yes. DOPs, photographers, stylists, HMU, ADs and runners, booked from a vetted Cape Town network we've worked with for years. The crew list is briefed and confirmed before pre-production locks.
Can you cast talent? +
Yes. We work with all the major Cape Town casting agencies and can run direct casting, model boards or street casting depending on what the brief needs.
What kit do you provide? +
Camera, lighting, grip and audio. We hire what's needed per brief and don't carry a fixed inventory, the kit matches the shoot, not the other way around.
Do you handle accommodation and travel? +
Yes. Hotels, exec apartments, flights, ground transport, visas and craft. The client touches one team for the lot.
What if the weather doesn't cooperate? +
Every Cape Town shoot day has a weather plan. Backup locations, backup dates, indoor alternatives. We don't lose days; we redirect them.
Do you do post-production? +
Yes. Selects, retouching, colour, motion edits and channel-ready delivery are part of the same engagement, not a separate vendor.
What about social cut-downs? +
Built into the same brief. If the shoot is producing a TVC, we plan and shoot the 9:16, 4:5 and 1:1 cuts on the same day. Not faked in post a month later.
How many locations do you have on file? +
Over 4,000 scouted Cape Town locations, beaches, dunes, classic and modern homes, studios, wine farms, off-road tracks, urban backdrops. Roughly 2TB of reference imagery, tagged and live-searchable.
Are you an agency? +
No. We're a back office that runs the production. No reception, no account managers, no overheads. The work happens, the work ships.
Can we see references? +
Yes. The portfolio shows 38+ productions, and we'll share specific case studies under NDA on request.