LOCATION RESEARCH AND RISK ASSESSMENT - STONELEIGH STATION

Location research:

We may potentially use Stoneleigh Station as one of our locations during our trailer. We would use this setting as it would reflect and portray that the main female protagonist is running away from home. We would be able to capture shots such as a low angle shot of her walking away, also a  medium shot of a train pulling away with her sitting inside a carriage or a long shot of commuters rushing around her as she sits and waits for her train. This location is equally as important as the mise-en-scene of a suitcase she will be carrying, as it will massively emphasise the idea of her escaping her life through running away.

We would like to use Stoneleigh Station as it is convenient and close to where we live. Using a location which is closer to our homes will enable us to spend more time gathering shots we could use. The more shots we gather, the higher quality our trailer could be. This is because if we are put under a time limit of filming in a certain location, it may be hard to re-schedule the re -taking of any scenes.

We thought Stoneleigh Station would be an ideal setting as it isn’t as busy and popular as destinations such as Epsom or London Waterloo, who see more regular commuters. The idea of the station make it easier for us to film as we won’t potentially get in the way or danger ourselves when recording on busy platforms. Another benefit of Stoneleigh station being quiet is it may reflect that Clio is isolated and all alone when encountering on her escape. We also liked the lighting during a night time at Stoneleigh Station, this is because it portrays a eery feeling. If we chose to film Clio running away at night, this would benefit the shots we take as the darkness combined with spotlights makes it more gritty and if anything could happen to her. However if we film during the day, Stoneleigh station has a opened layout so natural lighting may be enough when filming.        

Risk assessment:

Some areas we need to be cautious about when filming at Stoneleigh Station is the tracks, walkways and stairways. We would need to be weary when filming along the walkways or stairways as they are very slippery especially during the winter season when we will be filming. To prevent any accidents we would need to avoid running scenes using these areas. We also need to be cautious about the tracks and trains passing when filming, so again we would need to avoid running and make sure we stay behind the yellow lines when trains are approaching. So listening out  for the announcements will help us to prepare when it is best to film.

When filming we should also be aware of any employees who work at Stoneleigh Station or any commuters. We don’t want to be a inconvenience or cause any havoc to people trying to live their day to day lives. To avoid any problems when arriving at Stoneleigh station we can ask an employee if we have permission to use the track to film a couple of shots.