Filming in Brighton: A Local Videographer’s Guide to the City’s Best Locations
- Feb 6
- 6 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
As a freelance videographer in Brighton for over 10 years, I’ve filmed across the city for brands, businesses, artists and events. Brighton is a rare mix of seaside scenery, bold architecture and creative street culture, making it one of the most versatile locations in the UK for video production.
Whether you’re planning a commercial shoot, a documentary, a brand video or an interview, this guide shares my local knowledge of the best filming locations in Brighton, along with practical insight into how each area works on camera. Written from the perspective of a local videographer, it’s designed to help brands and organisations plan shoots in Brighton with confidence.
Why Choose Brighton for Video Production?
Before getting into specific filming locations, it’s worth understanding what makes Brighton such a strong choice for video production. As a local cameraman, these are the main reasons clients choose to film here:
• Creative culture – The city has a strong artistic community, making it well suited to music, fashion, arts and culture projects.
• Coastal backdrops – From the pebbled beaches to the Marina and open sea, Brighton offers cinematic coastal scenery that works well for brand films, interviews and lifestyle shoots.
• Recognisable landmarks – Locations like the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Pier and The Lanes provide instantly identifiable visuals and strong character on camera.
• Urban and rural contrast – The South Downs sit just outside the city, making it easy to combine countryside visuals with urban street scenes in a single shoot day.
• Film-friendly infrastructure – Brighton & Hove Film Office supports productions with permits and local guidance, helping shoots run smoothly.
• Compact and walkable – Many locations are close together, which makes logistics simpler and keeps production time efficient.
• Architectural variety – From Victorian promenades to colourful street art and modern developments, Brighton offers diverse visual styles in a small area.
• Energetic atmosphere – Markets, music venues and seafront events give Brighton a sense of movement and character that translates well to screen.
Below are some of my favourite places to film as a Brighton videographer, with notes on what each location works best for on camera.
North Laine – Creative Urban Filming Location in Brighton
North Laine is one of the areas I film in most often as a Brighton cameraman, especially for creative brands, artists and lifestyle content. Just north of The Lanes, this once-industrial neighbourhood has become a colourful hub of independent shops, street art and performance culture. It works particularly well for: Brand and fashion shoots, Music and arts projects, Social and documentary-style filming I often use slow tracking shots through the side streets to capture murals, shopfronts and market stalls, which gives footage a sense of movement and character.
The mix of gritty alleyways and historic architecture — including views towards the Royal Pavilion — creates strong visual contrast on camera. North Laine has a natural energy that translates well to film and reflects Brighton’s creative identity, making it one of the most versatile locations in the city.
It works particularly well for:
Brand and fashion shoots
Music and arts projects
Social and documentary-style filming
Kemptown – Characterful Filming Location in Brighton Kemptown offers a very different feel from central Brighton and is a great location for filming projects that want personality and community on screen. I’ve filmed here regularly for interviews, performance pieces and lifestyle content. St James’s Street is ideal for dynamic street sequences, with its mix of vintage shops, record stores, cafés and cabaret venues. The area is particularly well suited to: • Documentary and portrait filming• Artist and performer features• LGBTQ+ and Pride-related projects Kemptown Beach also provides a strong visual backdrop, with its pebble shoreline and clear sightlines towards the Brighton Palace Pier. During Brighton Pride, the area becomes especially vibrant and offers opportunities to capture large-scale crowd scenes and celebratory street footage. From a filming perspective, Kemptown delivers a strong sense of place and authenticity that works well for character-led storytelling.
The area is particularly well suited to
Documentary and portrait filming
Artist and performer features
LGBTQ+ and Pride-related projects
Undercliff Walk – Coastal Filming Near Brighton Marina
The Undercliff Walk between Brighton Marina and Saltdean is one of my favourite coastal routes to film. This long, flat path runs beneath towering white cliffs and offers uninterrupted sea views, making it ideal for wide establishing shots and moving sequences.
Early morning shoots are particularly effective here, when low sunlight creates dramatic cliff shadows and reflections across the water. The combination of concrete seawalls, chalk cliffs and open horizon gives footage a clean, graphic look that works well for commercial projects. From a practical point of view, it’s best to prepare for wind and sea spray, but the results are worth it. The Undercliff Walk offers one of the most distinctive coastal filming environments in the Brighton area.
It works particularly well for:
Lifestyle and fitness content
Interviews with natural backdrops
Travel and brand films
Brighton Palace Pier – Iconic Seafront Filming Location
Brighton Palace Pier is one of the most recognisable filming locations in the city and a must-have establishing shot for any Brighton-based project. As a local cameraman, I often use the pier to anchor a film visually and instantly place the viewer in a seaside setting.
From a filming perspective, it offers a lot of movement and texture on camera. The mix of fairground rides, food stalls and people walking the boards creates natural energy for tracking shots and time-lapse sequences. Shooting from the beach with a longer lens works well for compressing the crowds against the sea and sky, giving scenes a busy, layered feel.
Dusk is one of the best times to film here, when the carousel and rides light up and the sky softens, creating a nostalgic, cinematic atmosphere. With permission, elevated angles from within the attractions can provide striking perspectives back towards the shoreline. Architecturally, the iron structure and Victorian detailing give the pier a timeless look, while the constant flow of visitors keeps footage feeling alive.
This location works especially well for:
Brand and lifestyle films
Documentary projects
Establishing shots for Brighton-based productions
Brighton Bandstand – Seafront Performance Filming Location
Brighton Bandstand is one of Brighton’s most photogenic Victorian landmarks and a great spot for performance-based filming. Sitting right on the seafront, it provides a natural stage with the sea as a backdrop. I often frame musicians or speakers within the circular structure, using the open view behind them to create depth and context.
When there’s a live performance, the bandstand becomes even more visually interesting, adding movement and atmosphere to shots. It’s a location that captures both Brighton’s history and its relationship with the sea.
It works particularly well for:
Music performances
Interviews and spoken-word pieces
Cultural and heritage projects
Brighton Open Market – Community-Focused Filming Location
Brighton Open Market offers a very different filming environment from the seafront and is ideal for capturing everyday life and community interaction on camera. The covered space is full of small independent traders, giving it a lively but contained feel that works well for handheld and tracking shots.
Moving through the aisles allows for natural sequences of interaction between stallholders and customers, while close-ups of food preparation and produce add texture and detail to edits. It’s one of the best places in Brighton to film authentic, people-focused scenes.
This location is particularly suited to:
Documentary and lifestyle content
Food and hospitality filming
Brand stories with a local focus
Brighton Seafront – Versatile Coastal Filming Location
The Brighton seafront remains one of the city’s strongest visual assets for filming. It combines open sea views with historic and modern architecture, making it extremely versatile for different types of video projects. Locations such as Madeira Terrace and the grand seafront buildings provide classic Victorian character, while the skyline view from the British Airways i360 adds a contemporary contrast.
The changing light throughout the day makes this stretch especially useful for a wide range of shoots. Whether you’re filming wide coastal views or detailed street-level activity, the seafront offers scale, movement and atmosphere on camera.
It works particularly well for:
Brand and lifestyle films
Interviews with scenic backdrops
Establishing shots for Brighton-based projects
Brighton Videographers Insider Tips
From my experience filming professionally in Brighton, a few practical points can make a big difference to how smoothly a shoot runs:
Check permitting requirements early and stay in touch with the local film office for advice
Film early in the morning or outside peak summer periods to avoid heavy crowds
Keep schedules flexible — weather and sea conditions change quickly
Talk to local traders, artists and performers when filming in markets or street locations
Work with local crew who already know the best angles, access points and quiet spots
Planning a Shoot in Brighton
Brighton offers an unusual mix of seaside scenery, creative neighbourhoods and historic landmarks, making it an excellent city for filming a wide range of projects.
I hope this guide has given you a useful overview of some of the best filming locations in Brighton and how they work on camera.
If you’re planning a shoot and need a freelance videographer in Brighton, I’m happy to help with filming, location advice and production planning.
Visit cameramanbrighton.co.uk to get in touch and discuss your project.
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