Unit 11 film - Location scouting

For my unit 11 film based around Lacan's lack theory, I plan to shoot in London/Birmingham, a rural/semi-rural location and a photography studio.

London and/or Birmingham:

As I am basing my films theme around loneliness and the lack of social interaction, I feel that London/Birmingham would be a prime location to shoot as they are both hectic cities full of energy and bustle. Yet both being major capital cities, they are still some of the loneliest places. When researching camera techniques I decided to use time-lapse to show a transition of time. I will set a camera up on a tripod and film a few minutes (3-4) of my main subject standing still in one spot facing towards the camera, I will then fasten the speed of the footage in post-production (Premiere Pro) to show how in a city multiple people pass by each other, paying minimal attention to the people surrounding them.

Rural:

A rural/semi-rural location would fit in well with my film idea, opposing the busy bustle of a city. Straightforward shots of rural isolated locations on their own would work well, in addition to one single person in these shots. Due to the time of year (December/January and winter), the weather should hopefully look dramatic on vast expansive landscapes, which would add a sense of eeriness. I will plan to shoot on a day with dramatic weather e.g. heavy frost, to add that dramatic quality that I hope to attain, however I can not control this factor. I have not yet decided where to shoot precisely, but I will figure this out closer to the time of shooting, after more meticulous planning and location research.

Studio:

Shooting in a photography studio would allow me to control certain aspects such as lighting and background. Therefore I will be able to create whatever mood I feel necessary. Shooting against a plain black or white background would give a sense of loneliness, especially if the studio lighting is set-up correctly, setting a mood/tone. The photography studio at my college has professional lighting equipment which I can use. The mise-on-scene of my main subject would also need to be appropriate to fit in with the other factors, e.g. clothing. The split lighting technique would work effectively underneath studio lighting, to cast a dark shadow on one side of the face and show a split personality/lack of something.

Health and safety for all locations:

When shooting outdoors/on the road I will be considering health and safety. With regards to equipment and location, I will ensure that I/whoever I am with are away from any danger e.g. busy roads. I have filmed on location before and did not encounter any problems due to researching health and safety beforehand. I now feel confident in doing this again when filming on location.

I will also be aware of health and safety when shooting in the studio. When making my studio lighting techniques video in the photography studio, as a group we ensured that we knew all of the fire routes/exits, in the event we were required to use them. When setting up the studio lighting we made sure that the floors/plug sockets were all clear, and the lights were in the correct positioning before turning on, as we knew the lights would be too hot to touch/move once turned on. Once again, I will follow this plan to ensure the safety of myself and anybody else in the studio.