Media Production: Location Recce

This week for our Documentary Homework we were asked to go out and do a location recce in preparation for filming our own documentary. Today I went to Bristol and thought of various places to do this homework. I really wanted to go somewhere where I had to talk to someone, to arrange permission for access into the building. As we were walking through the city centre, I remembered a little chapel I visited some 7 years ago and went inside for another look. I spoke to various people from guides, to caretakers, to those helping run it and got a lot of information on how possible it would be to do any filming there. Here is the sheet I filled out and hand in to my Tutor tomorrow.

THE REMOTE SURVEY (RECCE)

LOCATION VISIT SHEET

Production title: Chapel amongst the Chaos
Production team: Miss President
Producer: Jules Newton
Client: Weston College
Date of survey: Saturday, 5th October 2013 Proposed filming date: 3rd November
Location: John Wesley's Chapel, The New Room, Brisol. (Oldest Methodist Building in the world)

Permission needed: (contact details)

Spoke to the caretaker about access. Some rooms are being re-furbished so there was limited access. Also spoke to the guides and the various people who are involved in running it.

Traffic problems:(how will you deal with sound/visuals from passing cars)

None.

Local conditions: (could the weather affect your filming in any way?)

Only if filming outside were to go ahead. Rooms are small, yet fairly light despite only one small window per.

Intrusions: (passers-by, music, aeroplanes/trains, general interruptions to filming and audio)

Windows are old and single glazed which results in some outside noise coming from the town. Visitors would also have to be put off during filming.

Continuity: (is anything about the location likely to change during the shoot or if you return to it to film more than once? E.g. roadworks in 1st shot/ gone in next, poster on wall/gone in next shot)

None. Everything stays as it is due to visitors coming to look around.

Electricity/Lighting issues/Sound (will you need an electricity supply and is there access to one? Is lighting adequate or does it need altering? What sort of sound equipment will you need?)

The Chapel is dark in some areas. The halls are small and the stairs a dark and steep. General lighting issues in an old building. However, electricity supplies are available, despite being limited.

Set dressing: (does your set contain everything you want to show in your scene or will it need something else adding to it to have the impact you want?)

All there already. Possible alterations such as the removal of displays.

Welfare:(can your crew/talent get refreshments and use toilets, do they need to stay overnight near filming location?)

Located directly in the middle of town so ideal for staying close to location and any refreshments. Toilets are located on site.

Parking/Public transport to location:

Would have to use either on-road parking or the NCP car park, located reasonably near to site. As for public transport, many buses run directly to Bristol, the bus stop is only a 10 minute walk away from the location.

Possible dates for filming:

October half term (26th - 3rd November)

Draw a sketch/ take a photo of your location indicating possible positions for cameras and a route map to the location