Location Recce Sheet

Name: Abi B.
Date of visit: 18/11/2015
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Location
Caddington Woods

Description of scene you intend to film in this location:

We intend to film the majority of our film within this location. The
contents of which will consist of our characters venturing into the
woods, as a result of a school project, in which they will experience
some strange occurrences (such as sounds and the foreboding
realisation that they are being watched). The last scene within this
location will when the friend of the two remaining protagonists
disappears deeper into the woods, where she is later found to have
been killed in their absence.
Use this box to comment on the suitability of this location:
Lighting level:
In regards to the lighting, from around 7am-4pm the lighting is bright
enough for our filming requirement to be met without being subjected
to the dangers which may present themselves after these hours, as due
to the isolated and emphasised darkness due to the surrounding trees I
believe that any time after 4pm would be too late and too much of a
risk in terms of our wellbeing (as we could get lost, trip and injure
ourselves, or be vulnerable to strangers within this location at this
time). Therefore, revealing that we should film during daylight house
where it is dark. As the shadows provided by the many trees makes it
so that the bright light of day does not go against the dark themes we
will be portraying within our thriller opening piece.
In terms of the weather we would ideally film on days when the sky is
slightly overcast in order to create a rather dark atmosphere,
conventional of the thriller genre. However, if this does not seem

possible on the day then I believe we could film during other forms of
weather as the trees provide effective shelter from rain, and also help
to cancel out the brightness of the sun, due to the overcastting
shadows that the surrounding trees form.
Noise level:
The woods are very isolated and receive a small amount of people
passing through, this usually being dog-walkers or as a place for
parents to bring their children to play, revealing there to be a low
disturbance level in terms of sound and unwanted background.
As well as the noise level being close to silent in terms of disturbance
from people that may be passing through there is also a very natural
level of ambience which can be heard within the woods. This will be
useful for when we create our thriller opening piece as this will allow
us to make the location seem more realistic as well as eerie as sounds
such as the wind blowing through the trees can be heard, however not
seen, making for a rather eerie atmosphere, desirable for our piece.
Potential hazards:
The small size, and closeness to the main village means that in terms
of safety if we were to ever need help, someone local could get to us
relatively quickly, also this means that it is unlikely that we will find
ourselves lost. However, these are still potential risks that should be
considered therefore in order to tackle these, we should make sure to
only visit this location during daylight hours, and also make sure that
reliable adults (for example our parents are aware of where we are so
that they can reach us if we are in potential danger.
Also although the woods possess are very natural and sparse feel, they
are not too overgrown in terms of the natural pathways within this
location. This has the result of not taking away from the overgrown
and untouched atmosphere of the woods, but at the same time
providing us with a convenient pathway in which the risks of us
tripping upon overgrowth are limited. Therefore, helping to ensure the
overall safety of our location. Never the less, these tripping hazards
should be considered and could be tackled by behaving sensibly and
cautiously when travelling through our location.
Overall suitability:
Overall, this location is highly suited to the scenes that we wish to film
for our thriller opening sequence. This is because in regards to the

time, we can successfully film during daylight hours (this being 7am4pm) whilst at the same time not taking away from the dark and
atmospheric feel that the woods present, as the natural isolation of
this location as well as the shadows provided by the surrounding trees
helps to create the idea that the area is darker or perhaps being filmed
later than it really is. Therefore suiting the themes and dark genre of
the film. Also, the location presents very little unwanted background
noise and also allows the recording of naturally occurring ambience
within the woods which could be used for realistic effect within our
film. However, in terms of the potential hazards there are some that
should be considered. This is because the isolated setting, although an
advantage for conventionally portraying the thriller genre of our piece,
could pose certain risks in terms of the threat of others who may be
passing through (especially during the later hours), also the risk that if
someone were to hurt themselves, we would need to be able to reach
help quickly. Therefore, presenting some risks. However, to tackle
these we will ensure that each of our production teams parents are
aware of our location, as well as possess a phone in which we can ain
easy communication if we were in need of help. Also, by restricting our
filming to daylight hours only, this will ensure that we can easily make
our way back home before it gets too dark, allowing us to avoid
dangers that may come with the oncoming night.
Therefore, overall I believe this location to be highly suitable foe our
opening thriller piece, however, should be met with an understanding
of the need for caution when working within the woods in order to
minimise the risks as much as possible.