After creating an imaginary location during the first task, task 2 instead required me to find an already existing location in order to fit a particular brief handed to us. The brief required the location sourced, when filmed, to show a scarce of humans. This brief restricted choice of location due to members of the public however it was not too specific to restrict the look of the location or where it could be. This task therefore allowed both aspects of the module to be explored. Production design was shown through the specific choice of location due to its look and characteristics to express the brief. Cinematography was also experimented with during filming of the location with a Panasonic A101.

In order to find the perfect location spot that fitted the brief, I also needed to conclude on a genre that was going to fit the purpose of the chosen location. This would help me to determine where I would want my isolated location to be and what surroundings would need to be included to add to the characteristic. To help my task be a success I selected my genre as a horror. For my location to help represent this, I gained extra knowledge of horror conventions. A common convention for a horror is the aspect of an isolated location which would therefore fit the brief in showing a scarcity of humans.  “British Horror Film Locations” (2008) provides an extensive collection of shooting locations within Horror films between 1932 and 2006 created by Derek Pykett. The locations include a wide range of settings within a wooded/ forest area.

Caleb Ward states “Location scouting is a lot like finding a needle in a haystack – it takes time and patience.” (2014)

Due to a restriction on time for this task, a location that was pre-known was preferred and one that would not need permission for being on private land. As Ward states for the process of scouting a location for a larger production, more guidelines must be followed. This gave me the inspiration for my chosen location of ‘Kingsmill’ public woods to portray a large isolated forest in which a character could get lost in danger. Although this project was an individual one, assistant was granted from other students to help film a camera recce and show the potential of the location. During my filming, I kept the cinematography very simple and wide as I wanted to portray, clearly, the enormity of the woods and gain the sense of complete isolation where ever you looked within your surroundings. This was to show the potential fear within a character and the gut clenching worry of no escape.

I was able to use the Panasonic A101 to shoot this aspect in a particular way, however, one downside of this task came from the weather. Although cinematically pleasing, the sunlight shinning down through the trees did not complete the horror genre aspect that I was trying to achieve within this location. I tried to use it to my advantage despite this and showed it as a false sense of escape when reaching a certain point within the woods. If I was going to complete this task again, I would organise and plan to shoot on more than one day to gain advantage of the weather that would best suit the production design aspect in achieving the right feeling I would want to portray to help alongside the cinematography.

Pykett, D. 2008. British Horror Film Locations. England. McFarland & Co.

Ward, C. 2014. 5 Tips for Finding a Great Film Location. [Internet] Available from: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/tips-finding-great-film-location/[First accessed October 2018]