SCENE 01 / LOCATION SCOUTING SERVICES
Location Scouting Services
Find perfect filming locations across Mexico—from Mexico City to Guadalajara and beyond.
Finding the right location can make or break a production. That's why we've built a team of skilled scouts who know Mexico inside and out—from the colonial grandeur of Mexico City's Centro Histórico to the Pacific beaches of Puerto Vallarta. We handle everything: site research, logistics assessments, permit forms. You tell us what you're looking for, and we'll find it.
Over the years, we've put together a database of more than 5,000 locations across the country. But we don't just hand you a list and wish you luck. Our scouts hit the ground to check each site meets your specific needs, whether that's a hacienda in the Yucatán for your period piece or a sleek Polanco rooftop in Mexico City for a luxury brand campaign.
What really sets us apart is our network. We've spent years building relationships with property owners, local municipios, IMCINE (Mexico's national film institute), and the Baja Studios complex. When you need to shoot at a location that mostly says no to shoots, we know who to call.
Our Location Scouting Services
Finding the right location can make or break a production. That's why we've built a team of skilled scouts who know Mexico inside and out—from the colonial grandeur of Mexico City's Centro Histórico to the Pacific beaches of Puerto Vallarta. We handle everything: site research, logistics assessments, permit forms. You tell us what you're looking for, and we'll find it.
Over the years, we've put together a database of more than 5,000 locations across the country. But we don't just hand you a list and wish you luck. Our scouts hit the ground to check each site meets your specific needs, whether that's a hacienda in the Yucatán for your period piece or a sleek Polanco rooftop in Mexico City for a luxury brand campaign.
What really sets us apart is our network. We've spent years building relationships with property owners, local municipios, IMCINE (Mexico's national film institute), and the Baja Studios complex. When you need to shoot at a location that mostly says no to shoots, we know who to call.
Comprehensive Location Scouting Solutions
Expert location scouts with intimate knowledge of Mexico's diverse landscapes, urban environments, and cultural sites. Professional location services from initial scouting to production support with permits and logistics coordination.
Urban Locations
- • Modern cityscapes
- • Historic districts
- • Commercial areas
- • Residential neighborhoods
- • Industrial zones
Natural Landscapes
- • Coastal beaches
- • Mountain regions
- • Desert landscapes
- • Forest locations
- • River systems
Cultural Sites
- • Colonial haciendas
- • Pre-Columbian ruins
- • Traditional villages
- • Museums
- • Heritage locations
Production Facilities
- • Studio spaces
- • Controlled environments
- • Green screen facilities
- • Equipment storage
- • Crew facilities
How We Work With You
Here's how we typically work with productions. You tell us what you're looking for, we go find it, and we handle all the headaches in between—permits, negotiations, logistics. By the time you show up to shoot, everything's ready.
Requirements Analysis
First things first—we sit down with you to know exactly what you're after. We'll go through your script, look at reference images, talk about budget constraints, and nail down the visual style you're going for. No detail is too small at this stage.
Research & Reconnaissance
Here is what we have to work with. Our scouts will start their work after we determine what you need. Our team retrieves site options from the database followed by actual inspections at each location. Our team takes photos of each location from different perspectives while we record all key operational details including power availability and parking spaces and site-level conditions and daylight patterns.
Presentation & Selection
We put together a detailed presentation for each shortlisted location. You'll get pro photos, logistical breakdowns, rough costs, and info on what permits we'll need. Most clients find exactly what they want within the first round of options.
Coordination & Securing
Once you've made your choice, we handle the rest. We negotiate fees with property owners, set up access schedules, manage contracts, and secure all needed permits. By the time your crew arrives, everything's sorted and ready to go.
You'll have a single point of contact throughout—someone who knows your project and can give you straight answers when things change. And things always change.
What We Bring to the Table
Years of boots-on-the-ground experience across Mexico, a database we've built from scratch, and the kind of local connections that take time to develop.
Our Resources
5,000+ Locations On File
We've been building this database for years. Every entry has photos, GPS coordinates, notes on access and power, and info on what time of year works best. It's not just a list—it's institutional knowledge.
On-Site Technical Surveys
Before we recommend anywhere, we check it ourselves. Power capacity, truck access, parking situation, ambient noise—the stuff that matters when you're actually trying to shoot there.
Permit Handling
Mexican bureaucracy can be complex. We deal with the permit applications, the property releases, the back-and-forth with local officials. You shouldn't have to.
Scouting Statistics
Why Choose Fixers in Mexico for Location Scouting
Local Expertise
Our scouts have spent years working across Mexico. They know the hidden paths that lead to secret gardens and tucked-away towns that most visitors never find. Our local knowledge enables us to give locations you won't find in any other production's portfolio.
Complete Documentation
Each location report we deliver is thorough enough to hand directly to your line producer. It has tech specs, permit needs, access routes, and info about nearby facilities. It's all there, organized and ready to use.
Rapid Response
At times plans change at the last minute. We get it. That's why we give 48-hour turnaround on location reports and emergency scouting services when you need to pivot fast during production.
Cultural Heritage Access
Here is the layout. Getting permission to film at UNESCO sites, historic haciendas, or national monuments isn't easy -- but we've done it dozens of times. We know the application process, the right contacts, and how to present your project in a way that gets approvals.
On Location
Mexico-wide scouting from CDMX colonial heritage and Yucatán Maya ruins to Baja desert-meets-Pacific, Lacandon jungle, Copper Canyon, and Día de Muertos epicentres — drawing on the Roma, Spectre, Apocalypto, Sicario, Bardo, and Magnificent Seven location playbooks
Here is how this works in practice. Mexico gives one of cinema's deepest location libraries. Our scouts work from the same playbooks that delivered Roma (Cuarón 2018, Colonia Roma-Condesa CDMX), Spectre (007 2015, Zócalo Day of the Dead opening), Apocalypto (Mel Gibson 2006, Yucatán Maya jungle), Sicario and Sicario 2 (CDMX plus Sonoran desert), Bardo (Iñárritu 2022, CDMX), Once Upon a Time in The country (Acapulco), The Magnificent Seven (2016 Durango), Quantum of Solace (2008 Yucatán plus Mexico City), Narcos: The country (Netflix multi-state), Pinocchio (del Toro 2022 Mexican animation lineage), Titanic (1997 Fox Baja Studios deep ocean tank), Master and Commander (2003 Fox Baja), Pearl Harbor (2001 Fox Baja), and Limitless.
Here is what that looks like on the ground. On the ground, CDMX delivers the Zócalo, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Reforma, Polanco luxury, Roma-Condesa, Coyoacán's Casa Azul, Xochimilco UNESCO 1987 canals, and Centro Histórico UNESCO 1987. Yucatán and Quintana Roo give Chichén Itzá (UNESCO 1988), Tulum, Uxmal (UNESCO 1996), Coba, the cenote belt (Ik Kil, Suytun, X'keken), and the Riviera Maya. Oaxaca gives Monte Albán (UNESCO 1987), Mitla, the colonial historic centre (UNESCO 1987), and Día de Muertos epicentres.
Here is the short of it. Scouts work region by region with the relevant AFCI-affiliated film commission and our internal location library spanning roughly 5,000 vetted sites. Chiapas adds Palenque (UNESCO 1987), San Cristóbal de las Casas, Sumidero Canyon, and the Lacandon jungle. Veracruz brings El Tajín (UNESCO 1992) and Totonac heritage. Morelos delivers Xochicalco (UNESCO 1999). Puebla and its UNESCO 1987 historic centre give colonial baroque, with Cholula's volcanic landscapes and Popocatépetl backdrops. Michoacán delivers Pátzcuaro, Janitzio, and Morelia (UNESCO 1991, FICM home).
Here is how the picture comes together. On the ground, Guanajuato (UNESCO 1988, Cervantino festival) and San Miguel de Allende (UNESCO 2008) supply colonial silver-mining heritage. Jalisco gives Guadalajara, Tequila (UNESCO Cultural Landscape 2006), and Puerto Vallarta. Baja brings Fox Baja Studios, San Ignacio whale watching, and Cabo San Lucas. Acapulco preserves 1950s-60s Hollywood-era heritage (Sinatra and Rat Pack). Durango anchors Western-movie heritage. Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts and the Sierra Madre Occidental with Copper Canyon deliver epic landscapes. Volcanic spectacle from Popocatépetl, Iztaccíhuatl, and Pico de Orizaba (5,636m) anchors aerial work. Each scout report ships with INAH heritage-restriction notes, AFAC drone-airspace overlays, and bilingual location-owner contact sheets.
FAQ
Location Scouting FAQ
Essential information for planning your location scouting project in Mexico.
How long does location scouting take in Mexico?
It really depends on what you're looking for. A straightforward commercial shoot? We can mostly turn around options in 2-3 days. Feature films mostly need 1-2 weeks of dedicated scouting to cover all the scenes. Documentaries fall somewhere in between—mostly 3-7 days. And if you're in a bind, we give emergency scouting with 24-48 hour delivery.
What permits are required for filming at Mexican locations?
The specific permit needs depend on your shoot sites location and its dimensions. Local authorities need all public areas to obtain permission for filming through a filming permit. The owners of private sites need to give release forms for their sites. Historical monuments and UNESCO sites have their own application process through cultural affairs offices. We handle all of this for you—it's one of the main reasons shoots hire us.
What are typical location scouting costs in Mexico?
The cost for basic day-rate scouting operations ranges between $300 and $500 for each day of operation. The firm gives complete packages which combine service for many sites together with records support and permit management help.'re looking at $1,500-$6,000 based on scope. Remote locations add to the cost—figure $800-$2,500 per day for mountain or rural scouting. Permit fees themselves range from $150 to $1,500 based on the site.
Can you scout locations in remote areas of Mexico?
Here is how this works in practice. We have several preferred destinations which exist outside of typical tourist areas. We often scout in the mountains, along the coastal region coast, in rural countryside, and across the mountain region. Our team performs accessibility reviews for distant production locations while we handle gear movement and find suitable housing for crew members working in the area.
How many location options will we receive?
Here is the short of it. For each scene or setup you need, we mostly present 3-5 vetted options. These aren't just random suggestions—each location we show you has been checked for logistics, permit availability, and budget fit. We'd rather give you fewer, better options than overwhelm you with places that won't actually work.
What documentation do you provide for each location?
Here is the breakdown. The location packages contain many high-resolution photos taken from different perspectives together with tech survey data about power infrastructure and access points and facility details and logistics info which has parking details and service locations and site restrictions. The system gives site maps together with shooting position recommendations which depend on lighting conditions for all complex locations.
Related Services
Productions in Mexico that need this often pair it with Local Fixer Services, Production Budgeting Services, and Production Scheduling Services for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Pre-Production Services and Travel Coordinator.
On Set
Ready to Discover Perfect Locations?
Let's find the backdrop your project deserves. Get in touch and tell us what you're looking for—we'll take it from there.