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A small film crew with a cinema camera on a tripod and a boom microphone on the páramo, Chimborazo's glaciers behind under heavy cloud, talking with a local woman in a striped poncho

Location scouting & production support in Ecuador Ecuador,ready for camera.

Logline

Film, TV, commercials and photo shoots. We find the places, drive the recce, shoot the photo pack and get your crew there, with translation, local fixers and contacts, and liaison with local authorities and protected areas for your permits.

Request a recce Roll the location reel
  • Based in Guayaquil, working nationwide
  • Licensed national tour guide
  • English & Spanish
  • Larger crews welcome

Four worlds, one small country.

Glaciers and páramo, rivers and rainforest, Pacific ports and volcanic islands, all within a day's travel of each other. For a production that means many looks and short company moves.

  • A

    Andes

    2,500–6,263 m

    Volcanoes, páramo, the colonial centres of Quito and Cuenca, highland markets.

  • B

    Amazon

    Lowland rainforest

    Rivers, morning mist, canopy, lodges and communities, reached by road and canoe.

  • C

    Coast

    Sea level

    Fishing ports, surf beaches, dry forest, whales in season, and Guayaquil's river city.

  • D

    Galápagos

    About 1,000 km offshore

    Volcanic islands, lava fields and wildlife that ignores the camera. Special rules apply (see the note below).

Cotopaxi's snow cone above a páramo lake with horses grazing
A dugout canoe with travellers on a rainforest river in the Ecuadorian Amazon
A humpback whale breaching off the Ecuadorian coast beside a small boat
Sea lions asleep on a white-sand beach in the Galápagos beside turquoise water
Company moves, approximately
From → toByAbout
Quito → Chimborazo páramoRoad4 h
Quito → Amazon (Tena)Road4–5 h
Quito ⇄ GuayaquilAir< 1 h
Guayaquil → Puerto LópezRoad4 h
Guayaquil → GalápagosAir2 h

Times are approximate: weather, roads and gear decide. We plan moves around the light.

The location reel.

Six frames, six looks. Each one comes with the notes a producer asks for first: region, altitude, light, access, season and paperwork.

  1. Vicuñas grazing on the dry páramo below the snow-covered dome of Chimborazo
    LOC 01 / 06

    Chimborazo páramo

    Region
    Andes · Chimborazo province
    Altitude
    About 3,800–4,800 m on the reserve road
    Light
    Hard high-altitude sun; cloud moves fast across the summit
    Access
    Paved road and 4×4 tracks, about 4 h from Quito
    Season
    Clearest mornings; drier June to September
    Paperwork
    Protected area: authorisation needed
  2. La Ronda street in Quito's old town at blue hour, wet cobblestones reflecting warm lamps under flowered balconies
    LOC 02 / 06

    La Ronda, Quito, at night

    Region
    Andes · Quito's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site
    Altitude
    About 2,850 m
    Light
    Lamps and practicals; sunset around 6 to 6:30 p.m. all year
    Access
    Pedestrian street; unload at either end
    Season
    Year-round; afternoon rain is likelier from October to May
    Paperwork
    Municipal filming permit; neighbours informed
  3. Mist over an Amazon river at dawn, a single canoe gliding past silhouetted rainforest
    LOC 03 / 06

    Amazon river mist

    Region
    Amazon · Napo province
    Altitude
    About 400–600 m
    Light
    Dawn mist, soft and diffused; usually gone by mid-morning
    Access
    Road from Quito, then canoe with local boatmen
    Season
    Rain in any month: dry bags and covers for the gear
    Paperwork
    Community permission on community land; protected areas need authorisation
  4. Painted wooden fishing boats on the beach at Puerto López at sunrise, fishermen unloading the catch under frigate birds
    LOC 04 / 06

    Puerto López fishing boats

    Region
    Coast · Manabí
    Altitude
    Sea level
    Light
    Sunrise, when the night's catch comes in; harsh by mid-morning
    Access
    Road from Guayaquil, about 4 h
    Season
    Humpback whales offshore roughly June to September
    Paperwork
    Municipal and port coordination; Machalilla National Park nearby needs authorisation
  5. A location scout framing a shot with a director's viewfinder in the arched courtyard of a colonial monastery, a local guide beside her holding a map
    LOC 05 / 06

    A colonial monastery courtyard

    Region
    Andes · Quito's historic centre
    Altitude
    About 2,850 m
    Light
    Soft top light into the cloister; open shade most of the day
    Access
    By arrangement with the community or institution that keeps it
    Season
    Year-round; we check the religious calendar
    Paperwork
    The owner's permission first, then the municipality
  6. The painted houses and stairway of Las Peñas climbing Cerro Santa Ana in Guayaquil, the lighthouse at the top
    LOC 06 / 06

    Las Peñas, Guayaquil

    Region
    Coast · Guayaquil, on the Guayas river
    Altitude
    Sea level, then 444 steps up Cerro Santa Ana
    Light
    Bright and hot at midday; best early and at golden hour
    Access
    Pedestrian stairway: gear is carried
    Season
    Cooler, often overcast June to December; hot and rainy January to April
    Paperwork
    Municipal permit; residents informed

The call sheet: what we do.

Everything a production needs on the ground, from the first recce to the last company move.

Crew sizeLarger groups are fine. Our small-group rule is for travellers, not productions: bring the whole unit.

Production support · EcuadorLocal Friend Tour
Call sheetNº 01
ProductionYours
BaseGuayaquil · nationwide
LanguagesEnglish · Spanish
WeatherWe check it with you
LeadAllyson Alemán
Departments we cover
NºServiceNotesCovered
01RecceRecce tripsWe drive and walk your shortlist with you, or for you, at the hour you'd roll camera.
02Photo packScouting photo packsWides, reverses, details and panoramas, with sun path, power, parking, noise and signal notes and map pins.
03PermitsPermits liaisonWe coordinate with municipalities, owners and protected-area authorities and help you prepare applications. The authorities issue permits; we don't.
04TransportCrew & gear transportAirport pickups, vans, 4×4s for páramo tracks, boats and canoes through local operators.
05FixersLocal fixers & contactsCommunity leaders, property owners, local suppliers: the people who open doors, introduced properly.
06LanguageTranslationSpanish and English on recces, in meetings, with communities and on set.
07HotelsCrew-friendly staysEarly breakfasts, parking for the vans, rooms close to the location and a quiet night before a 4 a.m. call.
AltitudePáramo days are planned with altitude in mind: time to acclimatise, warm layers, water, and a plan B lower down.
GalápagosFilming there requires special authorisation from the Galápagos National Park. We help you apply; the Park decides.
Prepared byAllyson & teamLicensed national tour guide · local guides across Ecuador

How a scouting job runs.

Five steps on one timeline, with the conversation running underneath all of them.

  1. V1 · Clip 01Brief

    Send what you have: script pages or a treatment, references, dates, crew size, must-haves. A rough idea is a fine place to start.

  2. V1 · Clip 02Shortlist

    We answer with options and honest notes on each: access, altitude, travel times, and what paperwork every place needs.

  3. V1 · Clip 03Recce

    We take you, or go for you, at the hour you'd shoot, and check the light, sound, power, parking and phone signal.

  4. V1 · Clip 04Photo pack

    Labelled frames and panoramas, sun path and map pins for every location, plus the contacts and the permit route.

  5. V1 · Clip 05Shoot support

    Transport, translation, fixers and authority liaison during the shoot, with a local friend beside the crew.

Slate your production.

Tell us what you're making and what it needs to look like. There are no prices on this page: every production is different, so we start with a conversation and reply with questions, ideas and options.

Curious how travellers describe us? Read the reviews on the main site.

Looks you need
Preview form: nothing is sent from this concept page.