LOCATION SCOUTING

 

Introduction

Clementine and I were looking for two key locations for the music video to take place in. We drew inspiration from scenes in Fleabag (2016) and Taylor Swift's music video All Too Well: The Short Film (2021). We decided on filming the two parts to our film in a kitchen and dining room, and in order to film a shot we had in mind they would have to be connected. At first we considered using the school cafeteria as a location for the dining room, as it could be made to look like a restaurant setting, however we realised that in order to have the characters arguing in the kitchen it would have to be filmed in a home environment. Our main requirements was somewhere dark with warm lighting, so we could create an intimate dinner party scene. The clear next step was to evaluate the rooms in our houses.

Inspiration

Kitchen

Clementine's Kitchen	My Kitchen

Open space - easy to film in Sink is central, easy to use as a spot for the camera to revolve around, as the plan was for the main character to be washing dishes at the start of the scene Narrow hallway leading to the dining room, which could be a problem when filming the tracking shot of the main character from the kitchen to the table (a shot Clementine and I had previously discussed and want to at least attempt for our music video)

Darker lighting, which would be better for creating the moody atmosphere Connects directly to the dining room, so easy to film the tracking shot from the kitchen to the table The skylight could cause an issue if we have to film while it's light as it would be hard to cover up, however the space in the back (picture on the right) would be easier to cover the windows to block the light

Dining Room

Clementine's Dining Room	My Dining Room	Outside Table

Darker lighting, which would be good for setting the atmosphere of the scene The décor is suitable for a formal dinner party - there are shelves of glasses and drink cabinets The room is quite narrow, so we would be unable to use the crane for a shot we had planned and practiced on production day As mentioned before, the corridor from the dining room to the kitchen is quite narrow, which would make filming the tracking shot difficult	There is more space in the room, so it would be easier to film camera movements and be more creative with framing and camera angles As there is more space around the chairs, it would be easier for our main actor, Lucy, to get in and out of her chair when filming The lamps behind the table have digitally controlled LED lightbulbs, which can be controlled by an app and change colour. This would give us more control over the lighting and mood of the scene, without having to use lots of The room is brighter, however the curtains would block out some of the light	Lots of space around the table for filming More atmospheric, especially if using candles as a source of lighting No easy access to the kitchen without walking through the house Restrictive filming times, as there would be no way to shield the light during the day

Decision

Ultimately Clementine and I decided to film at my house, as the extra space would allow us some more freedom for experimenting with shots. The coloured lamps would allow us to play with lighting in different shots, and with the dining room being outside the kitchen the tracking shot would be much easier. After some consideration, we also thought that the extra space between the chairs would reflect the distance in the relationship, and the lack of communication.