Guides
Filming a property without revealing its occupants’ private lives
A privacy sheet for your property shoot: people, personal objects, reflections and versions to check before a film is released.
Contents
The living room is ready, the curtains open and the cushions back in place. Yet an envelope on the desk reveals a name. An occupant appears in the mirror. Presenting an inhabited home needs this additional attention: the images should describe the property without unintentionally exposing the people who live there. The right moment to discuss those boundaries is before the camera arrives.
Walk through the house with a different question
An aesthetic inspection looks for light, materials and perspectives. A privacy inspection looks for what should not circulate. Walk through the planned filming areas, checking walls, shelves, tables and screens. A framed photograph, diploma, letter or family calendar may be entirely natural in your home and unnecessary in a property listing.
Flag sensitive items without creating a detailed inventory for the whole crew. “Study: put documents away” is sufficient; there is no need to copy their contents. The preparation sheet should help protect information, not create another file collecting it. The people concerned should remain responsible for putting their private belongings away.
Decide what can be shown in each room
I suggest a short sheet organized by space, with three possible decisions: film as it is, prepare before filming, or keep outside the frame. A fourth column records who confirms that preparation is complete. This prevents the videographer from having to guess what matters to each occupant on the day.
- Room or area, without describing a valuable possession.
- Item to remove, screen to switch off or framing to avoid.
- Person responsible for preparation and the check before filming.
- Specific point to check in the edited version.
This is a blank framework, not a client’s file. Adapt it with the people authorized to organize the shoot. If a room cannot be filmed, its absence can be explained and an appropriate viewing arranged. Replacing it with images of another place would create a misleading impression.
Treat people separately from decoration
Permission to present a home does not automatically authorize publication of its occupants’ images. The CNIL distinguishes image rights from personal data protection, emphasizing the scope, purposes and media covered by an authorization. For a commercial property film, arranging shots without recognizable people is often the simplest approach when they have no reason to appear.
A child crossing the background or a neighbor visible through a window does not become an extra in the film. If a person is to remain in the footage, the circumstances must be examined and the necessary permissions obtained. The owner cannot settle the rights of everyone who happens to enter the frame.
Check what the camera reveals indirectly
A mirror, window, shiny frame or dark screen can reflect something apparently outside the shot. Detail shots deserve as much attention as wide views. The video’s thumbnail needs the same check: it may be the most visible image, even for people who never play the film.
Outside, decide how much location information suits the planned distribution. An aerial view, property name, street number or recognizable landscape can provide clues. Removing the address from the text does not justify a promise that the place will remain anonymous. A discreet approach must cover the whole presentation and be discussed before publication.
Check the version actually intended for release
Review an identified file with a date or version number. Return to the privacy sheet and check every item. If something has been blurred, watch its entire appearance rather than one paused frame. Reframing can also make a detail more visible than it was in an earlier version.
Check the film, excerpts, cover image and associated photographs separately. A correction in the long edit may be missing from an excerpt already exported. Keep a record of the agreed version and intended media; a new use calls for checking that it remains within the agreed scope.
The team’s film gallery presents properties; preparation also begins with what you wish to keep private. For your character home, we can establish these boundaries during a complimentary valuation, before planning the images. The house can take center stage without making its occupants the subject.