Location Planning

Potential Locations To Use
Now that I have a developed idea as to what I'm doing and what I'm trying to create, I can start to take into consideration the exact locations available to me to potentially use in my final piece. I can choose to select a location based around the research I have conducted and the conventions of my genres: drama and post-apocalyptic. However, I may choose to challenge these conventions based on the effect I want to create during this specific sequence.

As Post-Apocalyptic is a very setting/environment specific genre, I have chosen to loosely follow the setting conventions surrounding it to allow the target audience to identify its genre so it will appeal to them. This will have many difficulties as the typical setting of this genre is an unfamiliar/wasteland style setting. Finding this environment will be hard as we live in a very civilised/built-up world, however, using places such as derelict buildings or areas that look decayed and dead will help create this image. Emphasising the destroyed/post-apocalyptic style can be done by incorporating elements of mise-en-scene to suggest death and destruction aftermath, for example, skulls, dead plants, rubble etc. The unfamiliarity has to be emphasised to depict the world-as-we-know-it destroyed, therefore using ordinary locations eg. office or middle class, suburban style houses etc would not be appropriate. Moreover, using recognisable or famous landmarks will not be appropriate either - particularly areas that will be flooded with tourists and people in general. Bustling areas will definitely not be appropriate either.

I have decided not to follow the setting conventions of a drama film as dramas focus on realism. The settings are often familiar and are associated with ordinary lifestyles, this will contradict the unfamiliarity of the conventional post-apocalyptic setting.

Location Ideas
There will be three locations involved in my final piece, the primary location (where the protagonist encounters the dog) and the secondary locations (where the flashback is situated and where the protagonist is seen slumped against a wall before setting off on his journey). The secondary locations will be featured briefly, however, incorporating them will help the audience develop a sense of setting as a whole, as it shows a more representative picture of what the fictional world is like.

Scene Involving Dog - Why Using This Location Is Suitable for What I'm Trying to Achieve
This is the primary location for the film opening and is, therefore, what the audience will see most of as it features heavily. Therefore, choosing an effective location is important to help set the tone for the majority of the opening sequence. The setting I had in mind was a very scenic and natural environment, and, therefore, have chosen to base it in a forest. This is the most appropriate location for the following reasons: firstly, it connotes peace. Although the film is set in a post-apocalyptic setting, I still wanted to maintain an element of peace to the film - this is because the character has gone to a peaceful place to die to make the moment seem more beautiful and emotional as opposed to tense and unsettling, therefore using a peaceful location is appropriate. Furthermore, despite the peaceful connotations of the forest, I still wanted to resemble a dead/overgrown and untended to world so it would suit the post-apocalyptic theme. Using a forest in this time of year will certainly be very brown, bare and dead, which will resemble a wasteland on camera if paired with the right mise-en-scene conditions for definite. Another reason a forest is a good location is because it is enclosed - this creates a sense of security because it is not open and the characters are, therefore, not exposed to potential predators. This heightens the peacefulness of the location. On the contrary, the enclosed nature of the location can connote suffocation, which may represent the character's feeling of weight and burden because of his past. Lastly, the natural setting is extremely appropriate because the character is at his barest which could be reflected through the use of a natural environment. Furthermore, depicting the character in a natural environment links to the idea of human instinct, which is one of the themes in the opening to my film.

Potential Locations

• Thetford Forest, Thetford, Norfolk. 

What Thetford Forest would look like during this time of year (winter)

Thetford Forest is a forest and nature reserve local to me. It is the largest 'lowland pine forest' in the UK and spans across South Norfolk and North Suffolk. It contains a variation of vegetation and trees, specifically an abundance of tall pine trees. It is a man-made forest, so the trees are all aligned in rows which gives it an interesting look. Furthermore, across it are scattered old buildings, nearby a priory. It contains both compact areas as well as open plains so the diverse terrain can be used for multiple purposes.

Why is This Location Suitable?
This location is good for the following reasons: firstly, it's convenient because it's local: it's only a ten minute drive from where I live and is therefore easily accessible. Moreover, not only is it easily accessible to me, but to my desired actor also (only one actor is featured in the scenes involving the forest) as we live in neighbouring villages,

Secondly, it's large, which means I have a range of different areas to work with so if one section of the forest does not suit the look I am attempting to achieve then I can relocate to another area that will. It gives me more freedom and choice with exactly how I want the location in the footage to look. Because it's large, it also makes the chance of encountering people less likely than a smaller woodland, as there's a smaller chance people will be in the same area I will be. This is important because a theme in my film is isolation, the world must look desolate and empty to conform to the typical post-apocalyptic setting and make the audience see why the protagonist feels alone and feels that life is not worth living. Furthermore, because people are less likely to walk by and disrupt the filming, the dog in my video will not be distracted by passersby and thus make working with them a lot easier. It's also a particularly deep and remote forest, which means there won't be much civilisation and busy towns nearby. This is good because the footage won't contain any industrial activity in the background and appear very natural and quiet, which is the look I'm trying to achieve. Furthermore, if I do ultimately decide I want to use the audio from my footage, then there won't be any everyday background noise that would be produced in busy areas for example, people chattering, traffic etc.

Another reason this location is suitable is because of the actual type of forest itself and how it looks. Because it contains pine trees and vegetation that endures winter very well, the branches won't look completely bare and therefore extraordinarily ugly on footage - particularly in sharp footage. Moreover, any vegetation that was green will now be brown as it's winter, which is exactly what I had in mind as brown, sombre tones is a conventional style in post-apocalyptic films. Furthermore, despite the forest being very deep, it can be quite sparse in areas, which will therefore let a lot of natural light in. This is a nice look because not only is it very aesthetically pleasing it also will prevent the footage from being too dark or too noisy.

Although it contains some compact areas, there are sparse areas to. This means it will be easy to manoeuvre around in order to get the best shots from various different angles and distances.

Why Might This Location Not Be Suitable?
This location carries a few drawbacks. Firstly, the fact it is very large may be very advantageous to me, but depending on how deep we want to travel to find that desired look, it may be difficult to travel such large distances with all the heavy equipment, props and a dog. Furthermore, the valuable time spent travelling through the forest would be used up wastefully when I need to allocate the majority of the time to actually filming, especially during this time of year when the daylight is only about for so long and I'll need to make the most of it. If we choose to film in the shallower areas of the forest, we would likely be near a main road which will be very problematic. Firstly, the sound of traffic may be heard in the audio (if I choose to keep the audio, although this is not the plan, never say never) and having a dog would put them at risk of danger wandering into the main road. To get round this, I will make sure I start very early to leave a good amount of time for filming whilst still having the time to find the perfect spot for filming.

Thetford Forest in the Winter Sun

Secondly, despite there being sparse areas in the forest, there are some very confined areas. This will restrict movement and may even get in the way of obtaining a good shot because of the inability to manoeuvre into a suitable angle or distance.

Furthermore, as a high profile forest it is target to a lot of hikers, dog walkers and just pedestrians in general. Although the sheer size will prevent chances of us encountering these hikers, particularly if we avoid pathways and public routes, if we do encounter people they could disrupt the filming and distract my actor and the dog. Furthermore, if they walk into frame, then we well have to redo that entire shot once they have gone which will be very inconvenient and use up valuable time.

Another problem that would arise if we situated our filming here is acquiring transport to get there. Although it is a local woodland, to walk it would be unrealistic as it is only accessible via a dangerous main road. This would be worsened by the fact we would be carrying heavy equipment, props and supervising a dog, so walking there is a definite no. This would mean I would have to secure transport for myself and the actor and cannot rely on ourselves as neither of us can drive. This would require relying on somebody else's schedule - likely a parent of sibling of mine who can drive, as there is no public transport leading to it.

• Wayland Wood, Watton, Norfolk

The second location I have considered is Wayland Wood, an ancient woodland local to me. Wayland Wood has a very old history and is the home to the famous folklore tale, subject of a short film produced by the Walt Disney Company, 'The Babes In The Wood', where the ghosts of the children featured in the fairy tale are said to allegedly 'haunt the woods'. The nature reserve contains an abundance of varied vegetation, terrain and trees. It mostly contains confined areas, however, does include multiple fields and meadows nearby. Moreover, there is plenty of wildlife and many flowers growing in the woodland, most notably bluebells, so it is a very pretty woodland. 

Wayland Wood with the many bluebells bloomed in the Summertime

Why is This Location Suitable?

The first thing that makes it suitable is the fact that it's a nature reserve and, therefore, won't contain any industrial or tourist-oriented features, eg. gift shops or large signs. This is appropriate because the film is supposed to convey a very natural environment, showing no signs of any current civilisation. Furthermore, it will reduce the chance of running into pedestrians as it is not the subject to tourism, which would be good because my actor/dog won't be distracted and the theme of isolation can be conveyed and there won't be busy people and buildings in the background.

It's remote and away from the surrounding town and village, therefore won't have any everyday background noises or any industrial developments in view.

Secondly, it's very convenient. Driving to it would take approximately five minutes and it is within walking distance - although 3 miles away so may prove difficult when hauling the heavy equipment.

It's quite a small woodland and therefore wouldn't require too much travelling to find a good spot for filming. It's a very beautiful woodland, particularly in the summer time. 

Why Might This Location Not Be Suitable? 
This location carries many drawbacks, for example, it's quite a small woodland in contrast to others and therefore will increase the chance of encountering pedestrians. Furthermore, it would mean that finding the 'perfect' spot will be more difficult when there's less woodland to choose from. Not only will the size be quite problematic, but the density of it will too. It's quite a compact woodland and, therefore, manoeuvring around trying to achieve the perfect angle will be quite hard in between the compact trees. The fact the trees are so close may prevent enough light from entering, which will detriment the final footage as it may be too dark to see or too noisy. Furthermore, the dark, low-key lighting will be too sinister or tense for the beautiful and emotional moment I'm trying to create.

Photograph taken in Wayland Wood

Secondly, the forest's look itself isn't fitting. Although beautiful, it's far too lush and colourful to create a post-apocalyptic aura. During winter, it will be more bare, but the grass will still be too green when the image I had in mind was overgrown, brown-tinged grass as opposed to cut, maintained and bright green, healthy looking grass. It just looks too lively to fit the conventions of a post-apocalyptic drama.

Another problem surrounding Wayland Wood is the fact that it is quite popular among dog watchers and those 'close to nature'. This would mean that it's very likely pedestrians will disrupt filming by walking on set or distracting my actor/dog from afar. Given the size of the wood, any visitors in the wood will most probably stumble upon us filming and waste time by ruining our shots that we'd have to re-film. If I decide to leave them in shot this will completely destroy the theme of isolation and desolation I'm trying to create.

• Kett's Park Community and Recreation Centre, Wymondham, Norfolk

Kett's Park is a large recreational ground in the town of Wymondham, Norfolk. It features a play area and a sports hall. Although it contains these built up features, there is a sparse woodland enveloping the spacious field. 

Extreme long shot depicting the entirety of Kett's Park. Note the shallow woodland surrounding the park would be the only section I would film in. 

Why Is This Location Suitable?

This location is somewhat suitable for the following reasons: firstly, the woodland section of the park can only be accessed after crossing a large field. This means it is far away from the road and would secure the dog's safety as well as ensure there is no traffic seen and heard in the background of the footage. 

Secondly, the woodland is sparse and therefore is easy to manoeuvre around and capture the perfect angles etc. Because the woodland is such an insignificant part to the recreational field, people tend to not venture through it as there are far more interesting attractions surrounding it. This means people are unlikely to walk past us and disrupt the filming. 

Why Might This Location Not Be Suitable? 

This location has many drawbacks. For example, the fact that the woodland is so shallow means that the recreational grounds and buildings are visible from inside the woodland. Although this can be avoided by carefully positioning the camera, it is still an unnecessary drawback. 

Kett's Park Playing Field

Secondly, the location is in a recreational park in a town - it's most definitely going to be occupied by people who are most likely to disrupt filming by accidentally walking in shot from far away. This isn't helped by the shallow woodland, because people who are walking on the field will even be visible. This will destroy the theme of isolation I want to create and therefore won't be fitting. 

Another problem with this location is the fact that it's too bland looking. The trees will be bare (making the background even more visible) and it will just be overall ugly. I want to choose a beautiful location because the scene is very emotional and beautiful. They need to correspond.

Another issue with this location is how far away it is. Wymondham is 15 miles away from me and my desired actor so we would therefore have to secure transport. Although there is public transport available, travelling with a dog and the equipment on transport may be quite problematic.

• RAF Watton Airfield, Watton, Norfolk

The Watton airfield is a former Royal Airforce station that was used actively by the American Forces and the RAF as a bomber airfield during the Second World War. Now reduced to farmland, it is scattered with collections of pine trees, mounds, a runway and turntable and ruminants of old wartime buildings. 

An Aerial View of how the Airfield looked
not long ago. It has been adapted for farming
but looks very similar to this

Why Is This A Suitable Location? 

It has a collection of forestry which that includes tall pine trees which is the image I had in mind. It is quite overgrown with dried out grass and vegetation and therefore will look very appropriate for a post-apocalyptic film. 

Photo taken on the airfield, although you can't see much of it
as it focuses on the subject, you get a taste as to what the footage
may look like - my subject included - if I situated filming here

It's nearby my other planned locations and, therefore, will be convenient if I decide to schedule filming to the same day. Moreover, nearby and within the forestry are derelict architectural structures that will especially suit the post-apocalyptic environment.

I am very familiar with the location and therefore won't have to spend too much time trying to find a place to film, I know where everything is and therefore can get straight into filming, saving time. 

Despite only being small collections of trees, they're very dense and therefore the background won't be picked up on camera. 

Why Might This Not Be A Suitable Location? 

There are only small collections of trees, therefore, it doesn't give much freedom of choice when selecting the 'perfect' spot to film in. 

Because it has been transformed into farmland, it is now private land. The owners don't have an issue with people using the airfield as a method to get from place to place, however, they may be a little suspicious by extended activity on there, as there have been a history of crimes performed on the farmland eg. fires. This would put availability at risk. 

Secondary Scenes - Why Your Chosen Setting is Suitable For the Look You're Trying to Achieve

In this secondary scene, the protagonist is seen slumped against a wall before putting his gas mask on and setting off on his journey. The reason I wanted to incorporate this scene into the film is because I want the character to be introduced in a more intimate way, not watching him walk through woods. This will allow the audience to see him as a broken man from the very beginning so they'll be intrigued as to why he's in this state.

Given the fact that this scene is the first thing the audience will see, I need to select a location that will really correspond with the broken, depressed image and really set the emotive tone for the film. This is why I have chosen to film it in a derelict building. Not only does the broken and worn-down nature of the type of building correspond with the depressing theme, the fact that the building is 'abandoned' will really establish the post-apocalyptic setting as derelict buildings are a common convention in post-apocalyptic films. 

I will also use a derelict building for the flashback - preferably a different one to really develop the sense of setting and show what the fictional world is like (abandoned). It will also mark the difference in time periods if I use a different building. 

• Old Wartime Building, RAF Watton Airfield, Norfolk

This wartime building is locally dubbed 'the abandoned prison' due to the many cells, barred windows and tiny rooms in the derelict building. Although it was unlikely used as a jail, its strong resemblance holds an eeriness to it. It's a large building with overgrown vegetation around it and graffiti walls. I cannot find much information online about this building in particularly, so do not know the real original purpose of it. 

A small fragment of the building

Why Is This Location Suitable? 

This location is suitable because it looks destroyed and abandoned, which will really suit the post-apocalyptic genre. It fulfils all the purposes to an abandoned building: it can be entered through multiple entrances and looks rundown without using other methods to establish the fact it is an abandoned building.

Despite no artificial lighting, the building is very well lit through random windows and holes in the walls and roof. This will improve the footage because it assures it isn't too grainy or indistinguishable. Furthermore, the grey walls cancel out any liveliness that too much sunlight will produce, and therefore is very fitting because it doesn't look too happy but at the same time isn't too scary looking either. It corresponds with the broken theme. 

Another reason why this location is suitable is because it's very local: within walking distance. This is very convenient. It has a military vibe which suits the post-apocalyptic theme.

It's also a particularly large building and therefore produces a range of precise places to film in. 

Why Might This Location Not Be Suitable? 

This location might not be suitable because of the people who visit it. As it's close to the town it attracts a lot of pedestrians who go there to hang about. This may get in the way of filming as because the walls are echoey there is a lot of reverb, making the voices of these people louder which will appear on the audio. Moreover, if they walk into a room in which we're filming then they'll most likely disrupt filming, 

Secondly, it's such a large building with so many different features that will look good on camera. Deciding which precise area I want to film in will prove difficult. 

Another drawback to the location is the fact it is situated on private land. Although this doesn't stop people from entering it, it still may put us at risk for being told off which will really disrupt filming and require us to find another location. 

• Bomb Shelters, RAF Watton Airfield, Norfolk

There are a selection of four bomb shelters used during the Second World War, concealed in an array of overgrown bushes and trees on the Watton Airfield. They contain tiny, smashed windows and professional writing (place names) on plates on the wall.

One of four of the bomb shelters in the area

Why Is This a Suitable Location? 

Firstly, this is a suitable location because it is so hidden there would be no pedestrians there to disrupt the filming, which would make the process so much easier. There would be no background chatting in the audio (if I choose to keep it) and there would be nobody in the background of the shot to break the theme of isolation.

Photograph taken inside one of the bomb
shelters

Another reason this location is suitable is the fact that it looks very derelict - it doesn't look pristine so it suits the conventions of the post-apocalyptic genre. Moreover, you can enter them so I wouldn't have to film just outside of the structure, which is handy because there's more to film in. Furthermore, there are four of the bomb shelters that each have subtly different aspects, this gives me more choice in choosing the perfect spot.

Another advantage to using this location is it's not covered in graffiti which means it won't be risky capturing inappropriate writing on the wall. It has a military vibe which suits the post-apocalyptic theme. To my recollection, there's a random mattress in this location which might look interesting/artistic on camera if utilised well.

Why Might This Location Not Be Suitable? 

Another one of the bomb shelters

This location has several drawbacks. Firstly, having focused portrait photography projects here I've realised that because it's so concealed and has tiny windows there is minimal lighting, so the footage is likely to turn out noisy or hard to distinguish. This will affect the overall consistency and quality of the footage. Furthermore, the low-key lighting may create a heavier, scarier mood then intended and ruin the emotional theme of the story.

Another issue is it's accessibility; in order to reach the building you have to cross a pile of logs and other obstacles, this may be difficult when hauling heavy equipment.

• Abandoned Chapel, Griston, Norfolk

On a small road in the village where I live, there is a small, derelict building assumed to be a chapel by locals
because of the religious nature of the plaques above and beside the door. Moreover, the houses surrounding it are titled 'Chapel Cottages', so it stands to reason that the assumption is correct. There is no information online regarding the building, having spent a long while futilely attempting to research it. There is no obvious entrance to it and it is enveloped in ivy and vegetation.

Front view of the building

Why Is This Location Suitable?

This location is suitable because it looks abandoned: it has smashed windows, boarded up doors and ivy growing all around it so it will suit the post-apocalyptic genre. Furthermore, it's connection with God and religion would be interesting to play on in the film as it suggests a history of civilisation that has now been evidently destroyed, adding subtly to the exposition.

Another benefit to using this building would be the fact that it's extraordinarily convenient as it's less than a 2 minutes walk from my house, therefore no transport would need to be required and hauling the equipment wouldn't be too much of a hassle.

Another advantage to this location would be the fact that it's hidden away on a residential road so nobody is likely to walk past and interrupt filming as it's a quiet village. It's also not on private land and therefore wouldn't put me at risk for being asked to leave if we choose to film here.

Why Might This Location Not Be Suitable?

Barely Visible: Image from Google Maps

This location might not be suitable because it's such a tiny building, meaning there won't be much cannot be entered, so would, therefore, have to film outside of the building which wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Furthermore, it gives me even less of a choice when deciding where abouts the building to film.

Another difficulty this building might carry is the fact that it's hidden away by bushes which may block out alot of the natural lighting and potentially make the footage dark or noisy.

Furthermore, it's situated directly next to the airfield/farmland vehical entrance, and if we film on a day in which the farmers are working then there may be farm traffic coming in and out of the airfield which may interrupt filming. 

• Corrugated Steel Fences, Griston, Norfolk

Outside of the recreational grounds, in the village I live in, is an overgrown patch of land featuring a dome/steep mound made out of vines and a long line of corrugated steel fencing, which were once used to block off entrance onto the airfield nearby many years ago.

Why Is This Location Suitable?

An advantage to using this location is the fact that it's very convenient as it's a minute's walk from my house. It's also easily accessible as there's nothing blocking off the entrance and it's a part of the recreational grounds so nobody is forbidden to enter the segment of land. 

Secondly, it's not in use and isn't a target of any interest by anyone so nobody will walk by and disrupt the filming or cause a distraction, especially as it's almost unnoticeable next to the recreational park. 

Another reason this location is good to use is because it's very overgrown and therefore looks like the setting to the post-apocalyptic genre. Its corrugated steel fencing is reminiscent of the military which is a common part to the iconography that makes up the post-apocalyptic genre.

It's an open area and therefore lets in loads of light, making the quality of the footage stronger. 

Why Might This Location Not Be Suitable?

This location carries several drawbacks, firstly, it's not actually a derelict building so doesn't precisely fit the image I had in mind. 

It's overgrown with brambles and stinging nettles which might make the filming process uncomfortable or painful. It also has residential houses encompassing two sides to it so we would have to carefully frame the images so they don't come into view and ruin the isolated/post-apocalyptic aura. 

What Have You Considered When Choosing Locations

In addition to the pros and cons I have listed above, I have also thought about whether weather conditions matter when filming my opening and have come to the conclusion that yes, they do. Firstly, the image I have in my head is very sunny, golden footage, as this will not only look the most beautiful but it will also fit the emotional, dramatic and beautiful mood of the film, especially seeing as hope is a key theme in my opening sequence. Although sunshine isn't very fitting to the post-apocalyptic genre I thought it would suit my film opening more than using dull, grey weather would, to suit the inspiring mood.

This is why using the locations I have - in natural settings with no artificial lighting - will require sunny weather when filming, as I have no other light sources to simulate the golden, sunny effect while still being natural/appropriate for the post-apocalyptic genre. Weather is also important as most are exterior scenes or only rely on natural lighting as no locations host artificial lighting. This is why it's important for the weather to be good in order to produce visible and high-resolution footage. 

Not only have I considered weather, I have also considered availability. Alot of the locations I have picked are on private land, which is why I have selected loads of different examples of locations to potentially use so I know that I definitely have multiple back-ups planned when I finally get round to choosing my final locations. 

I have also focused on whether my cast can get there, most of the potential actors I have chosen will be able to, however, one or two may not, depending on if transport can be acquired, though it likely can it's still important to take this into consideration. This will help me decide if using these actors is the best choice, though it will not play the major choosing role. 

Are You Using Exterior/Interior Locations?

I have decided to use both exterior and interior locations. The reason I have chosen exterior is because I want my character to be against a natural backdrop to reflect on how he is in his barest state. There's constant reference to nature through the film, eg. in the script or the arrival of the dog. Therefore being in a natural environment is important. Furthermore, finding an interior location that will also suit the post-apocalyptic theme will be difficult as I need to establish to the audience that there is no longer a civilisation. 

The reason I have chosen an interior location to begin with is because I want to make the most of derelict/rubble buildings that reflect on how broken the character is.