AS MEDIA STUDIES Rachael Crisp
RESEARCH - LOCATION
To find a suitable setting for our horror film opening, my group and I visited a number of different locations. Although we did not have a structured idea at this point in time, the group felt strongly about an abondoned area or building to achieve an eerie atmosphere. However, this had a number of implications as many abandoned or derelict buildings are not accessible or safe to enter, despite having the visual effect we hoped for.
Some of the locations visited include:
RESEARCH - LOCATION
It is important that my group can find a suitable location to film for our horror movie opening. The setting is important as it is a significant element of the mise-en-scene, and therefore helps to create the desired atmosphere and mood.
The first locations visited were primarily those below, however Weymouth's Nothe Fort as well as the train station at Norden were also visited.
TYNEHAM VILLAGE -
Tyneham is a 'ghost village' near Lulworth. The 225 people who livedthere in 1943 were displaced to allow for the MoD to use the surrounding area as a firing range for training troops. Many of the buildings are damaged or fallen into disrepair, though the school and church have been restored to a good standard.
Tyneham was a very interesting location. Like mentioned above, the majority of the buildings are stripped back completely to just the brickwork, with the roofs missing and some walls deteriorating. The way that the buildings are so empty makes the location eerie. The school was a highlight, eventhough it was of the best standard.
On the other hand, Tyneham is problematic in some ways. It is only open on weekends until dusk, which restricts the availbility for us to film. this is particularly disadvantageous as horror films are usually set with dark, ominous lighting. Not being able to access the location at night will limit our ability to achieve this type of mise en scene. As well as this, some areas of Tyneham were not accessible due to safety issues, and there are certain elements such as donation boxes which we would have to avoid filming. This would restrict the possible camera shots and angles which we could include.
VERNE HIGH ANGLE BATTERY -
The Verne High Angle Battery is an old gun battery built in 1892, consisting of underground tunnels, located on the Isle of Portland. It was mainly used to defend Portland's harbour from the late 19th century to the early 20th centur, and was decomissioned in 1906.
Using this battery as a filming location could be interesting, as it is unusual and has an eerie atmosphere. It seems typical of horror film conventions and would immediately be recognised by the audience as the place where the victims will be trapped.
However, inside the tunnels is pitch black.
To film here, we would have to find a
lighting solution which allows low key
lighting and possibly a chiaroscuro effect,
whilst allowing the image to be clear
enough for the viewer. As well as this,
there is a good amount of graffiti which
would likely have to be avoided if filming; showing graffiti would eliminate the portrayal of the location as isolated and difficult to escape.
As a result of this research, we decided on using Verne High Angle battery as our setting. We felt this would create an eerie atmosphere, as well as a sense of isolation and abnormality. To create contrast in our opening scene, we wanted to use a second location deemed as 'safe'. The two options we considered were the school's:
MEDICAL ROOM -
COUNSELLING ROOM -
The medical room of our school is clinical and plain. This would reduce the distractions from our actor, to keep the audience's focus on the storyline. However, filming in the medical room could prove problematic due to the lack of space. This means that we would be unable to set up the tripod. We feel that this would negatively affect our opening film due to the medical room representing the safe, steady environment in comparison to the tunnels. Therefore, we want to use a tripod to film the safe location, to contrast the unsteady handheld footage of the tunnels.
The counselling room presents an ambient atmosphere with a relatively clinical appearance. We wanted this setting to be realistic, which we believe it to be due to the room's actual use as a counselling room within school. This means that it features decorations such as motivational posters and furniture such as a filing cabinet. This
room has greater space than the medical room, however would still be cramped to film in. We believe that Nathan in counselling will be more logical to the plot than Nathan needing to use the medical room; the counselling room will prove the psychological impact of his experience. This led to the decision to use the counselling room as our secondary location.
However, when filming in the counselling room after school, we faced the problem of the noise of the cleaners. the day before filming was planned, we recieved news that the High Angle Battery had been closed to the public due to water damage and vandalism.
In order to find another possible setting, we once again visited Portland, aiming to find batteries located through internet research. However, upon arriving in Portland and searching for the entrance to the East Weare Battery, we discovered that there was no longer any public access. Our next best alternative was another battery situated on public property, yet we were also unable to enter this as the building was classified as unsafe and also home to bats.
Therefore, another location had to be found. This led to the discovery of a friends' outbuildings.
FARM OUTBUILDING -
This outbuilding features exposed stone walls and ceiling beams. One feature we particularly liked was the ivy condered window, which only let in partial light, dimming the brightness of the room. As well as this, glass on the floor created a good sound when walked over. This location was chosen as we felt it had an onimous atmosphere, and the wide open space allowed us to consider different ideas involving the actor's movement around the room. Also, the location was easily accessible with no restrictions on when we could film, unlike the locations previously researched.