Film location marquees are an essential part of any film / tv production. When filming moves onto location, a host of people and equipment moves with it. In many cases the structures that house everything are location tents or location marquees.
The requirements for each film location marquee can vary between function, budget, location, and time scales, and in this article we discuss the marquee structures and options available.
Modern, aluminium framed marquees are enormously strong, versatile, are clear-span (no internal supporting legs), fast to erect, and are available in almost any size or shape. Fews offer filming marquees from 3 metres up to 40 metres in width and can in some cases provide clear-span structures that are even wider.
The length of a Fews film location marquee is dictated by the number of “bays”, which are usually 3 metres or 5 metres, and means that almost any length can be achieved.
Eave heights can vary from 2.4 metre to 8 metres for a regular clear-span marquee, and up to 16 metres for our Igloo marquee structure.
Once the size of the film location marquee has been decided, the next step is to consider the walls. Standard white PVC walls are available, but if more light is required, they can be fitted with clear PVC “window” walls. Where more security is necessary, hard walls and/or glass walls are available.
Marquee flooring can be as simple as a board floor, either with or without carpet. Commercial grade non-slip vinyl coverings can be fitted in canteen areas, and other specialist floor coverings are available.
If required, level cassette flooring systems can be fitted. Where significant loads are needed to be supported, such as in workshops then this can easily be achieved.
Basic heating can be provided for any film location structure, but if more control is required then more comprehensive systems can be installed. Air conditioning for the summer months, and thermostat-controlled heating is available and can be delivered through free standing units or specialist overhead ducts depending on the size and application of the marquee structure.
Standard personnel doors are available with or without glass and can be fitted with emergency exit bars if needed. Where security is a concern, lockable steel doors are also available.
For goods and vehicle access sliding doors or roller shutter doors can be fitted to our temporary building structures. Roller shutters can be manual, electric, or even high-speed.
Condensation can be a problem when storing some types of equipment, and a thermo roof will eliminate it completely. Using twin PVC skins and a constant flow of air, this type of roof also delivers excellent insulation.
Marquee walls can also be insulated steel sheeting filled with polyurethane foam. Different thicknesses can be specified to deliver the insulation required.
Fews can install film location marquee structures almost anywhere in a matter of days if required, and we also understand that this can change at the very last minute. Every installation has a dedicated project manager who oversees everything from quotation to de-rig to make sure everything goes without a hitch.
Supplying location marquee structures to the film industry requires three key things: availability, reliability, and affordability, and Fews delivers on all three fronts. We keep large inventories to satisfy long and short-term hire and have a reputation as one of the most reliable companies in the business.
