This document discusses potential filming locations for three scenes of a student film project. For the protagonist Alex's bedroom, Chris' house is proposed as it has space on the walls to display drawings. An alleyway near Chris' house is suggested for the kidnapping scene to create tension. The school art room is presented as the ideal low-cost location to briefly show the protagonist's drawings that are central to the plot and opening title sequence.
2. LOCATION 1
Scene 1: INT. ALEX’S BEDROOM. DAY
• Description – The first location is that of Alex (the protagonist)’s bedroom. This would ideally
appear as a conventional teenage boys bedroom, in order to prompt audience identification
with the setting. The room should suit the personality and interests of the character,
appearing artistically decorated (for example, with drawings on the surrounding walls).
• Suitability – This location suits the themes and characters within the production. By
presenting the bedroom in a manner which is conventional to the characters age and gender,
we will be able to prompt audience identification (which, as discovered through audience
research, is vital to engaging our target audience). We will, however, ensure that this also fits
with the individuality of the character, by displaying his drawings on the walls. This creates a
direct link to the narrative (which is driven by the presence of these drawings), therefore
establishing and foreshadowing narrative within the opening sequence. In addition to this,
the inclusion of his drawings allows characters to be established, creating a direct link
between the title sequence and main narrative (allowing the audience to recognise that the
previously shown drawings belong to Alex, thus providing insight into his character).
3. LOCATION 1
Potential Locations – The locations available to us would
be the houses of our cast/crew members, as shown below:
• Miles’ house – This location could be used in terms of
visual appearance (i.e the bedroom belongs to a male
and could be potentially suited); however is impractical
due to its distance.
• Bailee’s or Michelle’s house – We would be unable to use
these locations, as we require a bedroom which appears
to belong to a teenage boy.
• Chris’ house – This location would work in terms of
practicality (i.e it is close to the school, from which we
would walk), as well as visual appearance (i.e there is
space on the walls to decorate with drawings).
• Sam’s house – Sam’s house would be practical in terms
of appearance, however we would be unable to walk
there from school due to distance
4. LOCATION 2
Scene 2 – EXT. ALLEY. DAY.
• Description – This location will be used to film the kidnapping scene, so as a
result will need to appear dark/thrilling. Ideally this will be spacious enough
for us to film and act effectively, however it should also appear relatively
small and claustrophobic (in order to establish tension and make it appear as
though the characters are unable to escape). Furthermore, the location
should seem derelict or isolated, as this would again create tension
surrounding the impossibility of the characters escape. The creation of
suspense is required within our production, as our audience research
feedback displayed that audiences look for tension/suspense within thriller
movies.
• Suitability – This location strongly connotes to genre, as it is appears dark,
claustrophobic and suspenseful – as a result, it is conventional of the thriller
genre. In addition to this, the location has a direct link to narrative, as it was
previously displayed in the drawings within the title sequence. This therefore
means that the setting is used to establish narrative – by creating a direct
link between the drawings and location, this aspect of the narrative is
established to the audience.
5. LOCATION 2
Potential Locations – The ideal locations for
this would be close to our filming location for
the previous scene (Chris’ house), as this would
increase the pace and effectiveness of filming.
As a result, the potential locations would be that
of a street or nearby alleyway. The street would
provide us with more space and filming
accessibility; however the use of an alleyway
would create stronger connotations to the
thriller genre, thus building more suspense and
making this more ideal in terms of visual
appearance.
6. LOCATION 3
Scene 3 – INT. ART ROOM. DAY.
• Description – This location will only be used briefly, to display the art
pieces which will be shown during the title sequence. The area will need
to be a conventional art room in a school, ideally surrounding by art
materials or supplies (which will be placed around the drawings). This
will require either an empty table (on which the drawings/surrounding
props can be placed), or bare walls (which the drawings can be pinned
up on).
• Suitability – This location is not strictly conventional to the thriller
genre, as it appears relatively mundane and light. This will, however, be
made more conventional through both the contents of the drawings
(which will display dark events to later be shown in the narrative), as well
as the surrounding supplies (i.e red paint). Furthermore, the use of an art
room establishes narrative, as well as key themes. The theme of art is
relevant throughout the storyline, driving the plot forwards – by opening
the production with a setting which is conventional to this theme, the
narrative is inevitably established.
7. LOCATION 3
Potential Location(s) – The ideal location
for filming this scene would be within the
art room at our school. Not only is this the
only art room to which we would have
easy access, however it is entirely practical
in terms of efficiency and familiarity. We
are aware that the location possesses the
required qualities (i.e an empty table/wall),
and therefore find this to be a suitable
location.