Afterlife - Location Recces

The Ward Jackson (JD Wetherspoons)

We have filmed here before and given them our copy of Public Liability Insurance. It's a great location, best in the morning as it's very quiet and are very reliable. Electrics are fine. We have used them multiple times and would be the best location for the opening bar scene. We can also use the parking outside for the Mother getting into the car.

Church Street Studio

New CCAD studio on church street. Electrics are fine, huge space, however there is no overlight heads on the left hand side. We need to fully blacken the room, painting the floor would be expensive and time consuming, so bin bags are used instead, with sellotape on the floor. This will be temporary (few days) and should not be a huge risk. It will be secured down. Plexiglass will also be used for a reflection. Risk assessments have all been done thoroughly.

We will also need the studio for the car crash, this will be the best location as we can control the lighting and since the days are longer now, we will need to be in the dark for this scene. The new studio allows us to have a car inside too.

Seminar Room

We will be using this for hospital close ups. A corner of the room will be dressed but we will just be using the bed. Electrics are fine. Can't see anything else of the room so you won't be able to tell it's a classroom. 

Folio

We are using the basement in the Folio building on Church Square for the cellar shoot. We will be using the portable LED's as there is not a lot of electric or plugs and I don't really trust it. It's also a fairly small space so it should be a one camera shoot. 

Church Square Studio

For the bedroom scene, we are using the old studio at Church Square. We don't need a big space and this studio is used significantly less so it was easy to book. We also know that the electrics are good and also has equipment there from photography. We are decking out one corner as a pink bedroom and the other as the dark room.

Soundstages

This one is optional due to time limits. We want to use the new set for the Workshop scene but 1) sound is terrible 2) time 3) electrics 4) cold 5) lighting is also bad - we need it pitch black but the windows prevent this. We will probably be scrapping this. 

Location Recces

Kitchen

For the kitchen, I really wanted one with overhead cupboards going into a living room, so Julie could give her interview there and John to be out of focus in the background messing around in the kitchen. I had Hutton Halls in mind (the one used for the Alice party scene), however it was not ideal and clearly a student accommodation.

The sound/editor suggested his house which was perfect, there's an arch way in a conservatory going into the kitchen. The lighting is great and there's also a dog we can interview (and also warn the actors about incase of allergies). 

 

Theatre

The co director tried getting hold of Red Dreams but got nothing back, so we went to find some seedy looking social clubs today. We came across the Corporation Welfare Club and it was perfect. There's theatre lights but we will be bringing red heads just in case. The owner was also really friendly and is going to set up chairs for us and open early. They also said they usually charge but is offering us it for free for a credit!

 

Self Help Group

For ease, I suggested earlier on in pre-production to have the self help group in the same location as the theatre (since most have rooms to hire out and are separate, like Hartlepool Town Hall). However, our theatre choice does not, and quite clearly looks the same if we use the back bit. We had a quick look at our old base rooms today which are a good option. We know the power supplies are good as we have used them before, and can get permission no problem.

I think the bottom room works best as there's no empty desks around the outside.

Corner Shop

The co producer had a nightmare getting permission to film in Hartlepool corner shops and we even thought of changing it to a vape shop. However, I remembered that I know someone who owns a car showroom, which has a little shop! It's near Middlesbrough too so it's perfect. Afraid I don't have any pictures of this (it was quite last minute but I have been there before and knew it was perfect).

Alley

We went an alley today, and my co producer found some more the past few days (but I have no idea where they are and what they are like for sound, etc). I still haven't made my mind up which ones, so I'm going to go on a recce myself to find the best one. 

This one is near the theatre! Looks good but is near a noisy car wash. We went with this one in the end as it was the quietest (wasn't noisy for too long)

Co producer took this one. No idea where it is. Also don't like all the cars.

Again co producer took this one, looks better. Possible lighting issue, also have no idea where it is. Update: I found this one. Was too dark.

Pub

We know we can get permissions from Wetherspoons easily as we have filmed there before, so this was our first and best choice. We have chosen a booth near the end of the pub so it's quiet (we have also booked it during a quiet time) and people can avoid it.