Locations

Directly from my storyboard; these are the locations I will need for filming:

• Newspaper office outside
• High end office
• Parkland
• coffee shop/everyday place
• house driveway
• house doorway
• hotel bed
• tall staircase
• Different parkland to previous
• concert hall
• various roads
• various high-end places

I have access to 3 cars, two that belong to my parents and one that belongs to a friend of mine. I will investigate which car is easier to use, as all 3 are used regularly and the owners work 9-5. But to ensure continuity, whichever I use, I shall only use that one.

As the film spans a road trip across the country, the roads I will use will between urban and rural in different scenes to show they car is travelling.

 

Newspaper office outside
- 3 local newspaper offices
Risk Assessment: caution of roads and obstructing public pavements and commuters, not to disturb the workers inside

This one doesn't look like a particularly high end office, it is quite small and the 'on Sunday' part is quite prominent. If this was the office used, the Sunday part of the paper would have to be mentioned. The only way I could use this was if the females promotion was to upgrade to a more high-end paper.

This one, although looks grander than the last, isn't recognisable a newspaper office, which may cause confusion as an establishing shot.

This is better, it looks like a respectable business, and has titles on the building to show it is a media building. However, the names on the building are of local businesses and the building faces a busy crossroads, so it would be hard to find a position for the camera.

I decided to use this one as it has big newspaper names on it and is therefore recognisable, and with such a large building, I could find several places to film it from.

Office

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  Home office- too messy and 'technical'

  
  

  

  Home study- too casual, obviously in a home setting

  
  
  
  

  

  Media Bridge- looks slightly school-like, but with some set dressing would be acceptable

  
• Headteachers office
The head teacher's office would be too hard to organise since the headteacher would use it regularly, and when it is free would have to correspond with when myself and the two actors are free. This problem also applies to the media bridge, but not to the same extent.

Risk Assessment:
Headteacher's Office: respect confidentiality of paperwork inside
Home Offices: Beware surrounding space, respect confidentiality, take care with electrical equipment

Media Bridge: not to disturb other students too much, take care with electrical equipment
Parkland

I need two different park lands, and for ease, I thought the two closest park lands to my house would be acceptable to use.

Mentmore Park- simple parkland for first scene

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  Dunstable Downs- sunset could silhouette characters to juxtapose the dislike
  of each other against the romantic location

Risk Assessment: respect public using the same location, wet grass, cold weather, dog mess and litter may be a health issue. Also these location have hills so if we need to go up or down them we should take care.

Coffee shop/everyday place

This is the cutaway where we see the male acting like a ladies man, a coffee shop is rather sophisticated and would represent where a journalist would be

Risk Assesment: respect public, beware of glassware and other people

Concert Hall

I may not need an actual concert hall for this, as I could simply find a similar type of wall found in concert halls and use DJ light equipment to make the effect. I think a plain wall would be satisfactory here. I have a friend who is a DJ and has the necessary lights to make this scene look effective.

Risk Assesment: careful of electricity and cables for lights, other obstacles depending where the wall is

House

To give the impression that the male is quite wealthy and has a nice life, the house should be reasonably middle class. Perhaps if I use a friends house from a village, it may seem more high-end; however as she is just starting out, the lead character wouldn't have too much money. stereotypically she would own an apartment, but I don't have access to any.

Risk Assessment: privacy, breakable items, usual household risks

The Mall, Luton- staircase (indoors)

Tall staircase
background must give an impression of a hotel, or gig venue- not a house or school. The stairs must also seem inaccessible to the male who is on crutches

• hat factory, Luton 

•  The Mall, Luton

I have decided to use The Mall, as these are public and wouldn't require permission for it.

Risk Assessment: beware of tripping on stairs, not to obstruct public



Roads


A41

Hatters Way

These must be mixture of urban and rural to show progression of time, to show crossing the country. However the majority of long journeys is spent on major roads, and for any of those scenes I have decided to use the Leighton Buzzard bypass, as there are many footbridges and laybys to film in, it looks like a motorway, but isn't as dangerous as one. To make it safer, we will film the scenes that happen whilst driving, on a green screen and add the moving road in post-production. For ease, I will also film from the car along Hatters Way, Luton as this road looks similar and it is en-route to another filming location.

Risk Assessment: film on bridges when possible so am out the way of cars, keep aware of surroundings if near to cars. When filming from inside the car, hold camera tightly, to keep camera inside the car to not damage eqiupment or distract other drivers.

Train Station
I thought the character could first meet at a train station, as this is an iconic location within rom coms and emphases that they don't previously know each other. I wanted a small, pretty train station, as these are found more in 'posher' places, which is where the female character lives. Possible train stations are:

Luton: This station is quite busy and doesn't look particularly attractive, so I decided I shouldn't use this one.

 Cheddington: This is obvious it is a train station, and is small like I wanted, however it is reasonably far away away and still doesn't look as attractive as I want.
Leagrave: Although this is slightly less obvious it is a train station, I like this one the best, if I think the audience is unable to tell whether it is a train station or not, I could always do an Establishing shot of the National Rail sign.

Risk Assessment: stay away from train tracks, not to obstruct public or to inconvience the train station, if possible go at a not busy time to have less of an impact on the public

Various high end places

Journalist stereotypically go to coffee houses, bars and fairly cultured or unique places. This must be reflected in the locations used in my trailer, although the backgrounds aren't important in these short clips, they are needed.

Cafe Setting
Risk Assessment: litter, privacy of other
 students and staff, go at a quiet period to
inconvience people the least

Clock Tower
Risk Assessment: litter may be an issue and should be remived from the shot. Also, I should try to inconvience the public as little as possible

Parkland (Gardens)
Risk Assessment: take care for wildlife, litter and other obstacles,
also note cold weather could be a health concern.

Also for road trips, hotels and accommodation would be shown, for this I aim to use bedrooms of friends and family which look like hotel rooms, as this would be simpler than booking a hotel and gives the same effect.
Risk Assessment: note peoples privacy and to respect the setting

 

Photos are either from Google Map Streetview or are my own photos