Location Report: Exterior
Scene description:
Hagrid finds Harry coming out of Knockturn Alley into Diagon Alley. The pair meet up with Hermione who brings them over to her parents and Mr and Mrs Weasley who are waiting outside a shop in the street.
Location:
The Shambles, York, YO1 7LX
This report will cover the necessary information needed in regards to filming a scene of two people walking through a busy street. The Shambles is a well-known medieval street in York city centre, this street features historic building with modern shop fronts. The scene to be filmed was directly inspired by this street therefore the location already has the desired appearance.
To film at this location you will need to contact Dominic Berry (City Centre, Markets and Third Party Events Officer) on 01904554666. You are allowed to film on the public streets of York but to avoid being asked to stop then you must gain express permission from City of York council, even if your crew is small. You are allowed to film at any time of day at this location as it is a public street.
As the location is a popular tourism spot there is almost always a crowd so you may want to consider blocking the street off during filming. The street is also quite cramped therefore using larger equipment would be a challenge; the ground is cobblestone, on a slight hill and quite uneven so using a camera track would be difficult. This is also a health and safety issue as cast and crew could fall and there is a chance of equipment being damaged. The street itself is narrow so you also may want to consider using a smaller crew to film at this location.
You will need to provide electrical generators to film at this location. Food is readily available around York city centre but there is space where catering truck could be placed – in this same space portable toilets would also have to be placed.
The Shambles is situated next to a busy road so there is noticeable noise that comes from the traffic. There is parking available in a multi-storey carpark about a five minute walk from the location (Garden Place, YO1 7NT York). Parking is accessible 24/7 and to park for 24 hours costs £15.
The roads around York city centre are all one-way so getting around with cars can take longer than expected as traffic builds up easily. To film in The Shambles you may want to consider using green screens at the end of the street as it looks out onto a main road. Shooting in this location would be a good opportunity as it inspired the scene to be filmed.
Some issues that may come up with the scene are the amount of costumed extras needed and dressing the fronts of the shops to resemble the wizarding world.
To conclude; using this location to film would definitely have its benefits however there are certain aspects of the script itself which would impede production. Even though this location was the main inspiration for the scene in question, there are some logistical issues.
Risk Assessment Evaluation
| Project/Activity title: | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone |
| Location: | The Shambles, York, YO1 7LX |
| Description of activity: | Filming a scene where two characters are walking through a busy street. |
| Contact number:
(for onsite use only) |
Dominic Berry (City Centre, Markets and Third Party Events Officer)
01904554666 |
| Tick all hazards that apply at this location | |||
| Access / egress | ☐ | Lighting – work lights | ☐ |
| Alcohol / drugs | ☐ | Lighting – sets | ☐ |
| Animals / insects | ☐ | Lone working | ☐ |
| Audience / public | ☐ | Manual handling | ☐ |
| Cables | ☐ | Mines, excavations, caves, tunnels etc. | ☐ |
| Communication failure | ☐ | Night operation | ☐ |
| Compressed gas | ☐ | Noise | ☐ |
| Confined spaces | ☐ | Special needs | ☐ |
| Costumes / make-up | ☐ | Physical exertion | ☐ |
| Derelict / dangerous buildings or structures
(FTV only) |
☐ | Roads | x |
| Diseases | ☐ | Set construction | ☐ |
| Driving | ☐ | Slipping, tripping, falling | x |
| Electricity | x | Smoking on set | ☐ |
| Explosives / pyrotechnics / fire & smoke effects | ☐ | Specialist equipment | ☐ |
| Fire / flammable materials | ☐ | Stunts | ☐ |
| First aid | ☐ | Vehicles | ☐ |
| Food hygiene | ☐ | Violence / public disorder | ☐ |
| Hand tools | ☐ | Water | ☐ |
| Hazardous substances / chemicals | ☐ | Weapons | ☐ |
| Heights | ☐ | Weather | x |
| Hostile / remote environment | ☐ | Welfare facilities | ☐ |
| Lasers / strobe effects | ☐ | Working patterns | ☐ |
| Lifting appliances / machinery | ☐ | ||
| Other
(please state) |
|||
| Hazard: | Electricity |
| What could cause harm: | An electrical power surge |
| Likelihood of this happening: | Low x Medium ☐ High ☐ |
| Who or what could be harmed: | Crew and equipment |
| How much harm: | Low ☐ Medium x High ☐ |
| How will the risk be managed: | Reduce or Substitute |
| Actions to be taken: | Ensure that the generator isn’t overused and that only a select few crew use it. |
| Hazard: | Roads |
| What could cause harm: | There is a main road next to the location which usually has a high amount of traffic, so an accident may happen. |
| Likelihood of this happening: | Low ☐ Medium x High ☐ |
| Who or what could be harmed: | Cast, crew and equipment. |
| How much harm: | Low ☐ Medium x High ☐ |
| How will the risk be managed: | Eliminate |
| Actions to be taken: | Ensure the road is closed before filming begins. |
| Hazard: | Slipping, tripping and falling |
| What could cause harm: | Uneven ground |
| Likelihood of this happening: | Low x Medium ☐ High ☐ |
| Who or what could be harmed: | Cast and crew |
| How much harm: | Low x Medium ☐ High ☐ |
| How will the risk be managed: | Reduce or Substitute |
| Actions to be taken: | Reduce the amount of people on the path at one time. |
| Hazard: | Weather |
| What could cause harm: | Bad weather could damage the equipment and make filming difficult. |
| Likelihood of this happening: | Low ☐ Medium x High ☐ |
| Who or what could be harmed: | Equipment |
| How much harm: | Low ☐ Medium x High ☐ |
| How will the risk be managed: | Control |
| Actions to be taken: | Check weather before each day of filming and use protective gear for equipment. |
Script Extract
28 EXT. DIAGON ALLEY – CONTINUOUS ACTION – DAY 28
Hagrid swats at Harry’s sooty clothes.
HAGRID
Yer a mess! Skulkin’ ’round
Knockturn Alley. Dodgy place,
Harry. Don’t want no one ter see
yeh down there. People’ll be
thinkin’ yer up ter no good.
HARRY
I was lost, I — Hang on. What
were you doing down there?
HAGRID
I was lookin’ fer a Flesh Eatin’
Slug Repellent. They’re ruinin’
the school cabbages.
HERMIONE (O.S.)
Harry!
Harry looks up, sees HERMIONE GRANGER standing at the top of Gringotts’ white steps. She runs down to meet them.
HERMIONE
Hello, Hagrid. Oh, it’s wonderful
to see you two again.
She stops then, cocks her head curiously at Harry, then takes out her wand and points it directly between his eyes.
HERMIONE
Oculus Reparo.
Instantly, Harry’s glasses are mended.
HARRY
I need to remember that one.
HERMIONE
C’mon. Everyone’s been so worried.
Hermione leads them to Gringotts, where Hermione’s rather nervous-looking Muggle parents stand with the Weasleys.
WEASLEY
So you’re dentists! Fascinating!
I understand other Muggles quite
fear you? Why is that?
MRS. WEASLEY
Oh, Harry. Thank goodness. We
hoped you’d only gone one grate
too far. Come now. We’re off to
Flourish and Blotts.
HERMIONE
Isn’t it thrilling! Gilderoy
Lockhart’s going to be there! We
can actually meet him! I mean,
he’s written almost the whole
booklist!
As Mrs. Weasley and Hermione dash off, Harry frowns.
HARRY
Who?