Location shooting is the practice of filming in the actual setting in which a story takes place rather than on a sound stage or back lot.

In filmmaking, a location is any place where a film crew will be filming actors and recording their dialog. A location where dialog is not recorded may be considered as a second unit photography site. Filmmakers often choose to shoot on location because they believe that greater realism can be achieved in a "real" place, however location shooting is also often motivated by the film's budget. However, many films shoot interior scenes on a sound stage and exterior scenes on location.