Further Location Scouting - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal

After carrying out extensive initial location scoutings, we decided to change our approach with the search.  After contacting various location hire agencies around London, we found that logistically and financially many of these desirable locations were not viable. In response to this, we decided to alter the parameters of our search for our location, and we concluded that it would be more manageable and logical to search more locally, with the intention to find locations with lower costs. After another group meeting that involved thinking of ideas for locations locally, we carried out a location recce at the following locations.

The Gravel Works, Carthegena Fishery, EN10 2TA
Map Co-ordinates: 51.748811, -0.001140

This location was formerly a sand and gravel works, an area where gravel was extracted when the surrounding gravel-pits (now fishing lakes) were originally dug around the 1950s (the image below shows the area when it was an active gravel extraction works). After receiving the go-ahead to visit the location, we carried out a location recce, which allowed us to extensively scout the area and subsequently gauge how suitable it would be as a setting for our music video.

From doing this, we found that the area had a very run-down, gritty feel to it, and there was a strong sense of abandonment, as it appears that the area has been left untouched since the withdrawal of the gravel extraction machinery many years ago. We felt that this suited the temporal and spacial context of our narrative, as it reinforced the post-apocalyptic theme. In addition to this, the location is logistically workable and as a setting, the abundance of space would give us great versatility and flexibility when making decisions on where to shoot, and with building small sets. This is private land so here, we are guaranteed to remain undisturbed by pedestrians and passers-by. We have successfully secured permission to use this location, free of charge, for as many days as necessary, making this more practical still as it will give us the opportunity to re-shoot/gain further footage if the need to do this should arise.

The images above were carefully crafted in order to provide us with the greatest view of as many aspects of the location possible that were relevant to our plot. We took these photographs as we felt that they would be particularly insightful and assisting in the storyboarding process. The photographs where we are included within the shot are also very useful as they allowed us to get a greater idea of the proportional size of the location.

Epping Forest

Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation. It contains areas of woodland, grassland, heath, rivers, bogs and ponds, and most of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Epping forest provides a lot of potential for our music video. The natural landscape can work very effectively for our product as in the winter it appear much more gritty and bleak which can relate to our narrative being placed in a post apocalyptic world. It has many avenues in which we could explore which could allow us to have a wide range of experimentation in regards to shots. In the winter the leafless tree would work very well in showing a run down deteriorated location. Also we came across many areas of the forest which were suitable to set up the set which would supply a very realistic scene. There were areas where remains of rivers where and also we came across piles of logs which would work very with the layout of our camp style set. However, we are aiming to create a small fire for our music video which would potentially put us and others at risk due to the forest environment. So this is factor we have to contemplate when deciding on a location. Also we discovered that to allow us to film at the location we would have to get a filming licence with City of London which could potentially take away a lot of our budget in which we would prefer to spend on other areas of our production.