MAJOR PROJECT: LOCATIONS

Looking for a location has been a challenge for Backbone as it has not been as easy as getting a location and telling them we have 7 crew, my film requires a large articulated lorry to be in it throughout its runtime. But at the same time locations are important to the story.



After consulting the Kent Film Office for advice about how I might get a Lorry for my film and a location they gave me some pointers and helpful tips. What I need for the bulk of my story is somewhere the lorry can be parked away from anyone in the background. Originally I decided to drive around the Maidstone area here in Kent to places like Aysleford and Snodland as well as Maidstone itself.

I originally found this place as an example of a lorry lay-by:

Lay-by next to Leybourne Lakes country park

However this was a trend throughout my scouting, that they would generally be very full or inaccessible to HGV's. I also looked at a small piece of road in Chessington, Greater London/Surrey which is freely available for me to use. However the problem here is access and distance to Kent, its an hours drive from Maidstone to Kent and I feel this would be a difficulty logistically. The bonus is that I would have a free location to use, but I also discovered that it would be almost impossible for a lorry of the size I want to get to this location.

It is disappointing because I think this location would have fit quite well with my story, but for now I think it serves as an interesting mood board of what I might film. The Kent film office also recommended that I search the area using google maps, to spot open spaces that might potentially be usable and empty enough for filming. I was advised to research local schools who have empty car parks at weekends, industrial parks and even the park and ride in Maidstone.

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THE LONG SHOT

The above screenshot is of a currently unused car park very near the Maidstone studios. Its situated on Sittingbourne road behind the shop Next and the Towergate insurance building. What is great about this location is its quiet position in 15 minutes there only 2 cars came past me. However the big problem is accessibility to the location there are blockades on the two obvious entrances to this abandoned car park.

The two entranced above are blocked, however I will still inquire with the local council as to the plans for this and if their might be a slight possibility I could film there. There is so much space to use and its so quiet that it would be ideal for the main part of the story to be told in.

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As well as this ideal location, I have explored the possibility as suggested to me by the Kent film office of using the Maidstone park and ride car park on days when it is not busy. Using one corner of the car park to film leaving the rest free for cars to park in.

What I liked about this location is the shape of it, looking back to the start of this post and the video about settings as characters too I thought this could symbolise a dead end for the character and a sense of being trapped.

Again however the questions are access to this location and how to get a lorry there. This will be a challenge to work hard on throughout the christmas break and into the next term.