ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years, 11 months ago - Daniel Cormack

You talk about a "bathroom that hasn't been refurbished since construction", but you haven't said when it was built...

11 years, 11 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

A set could save you money. Depends how long you need the location. If it's a single shot, you might borrow one, if it's for a couple of days you're going to be in the way, using real electricity, making a mess (units always do), take up parking space, eating pizza in a toilet, etc. This means if you're there for over a day or so, you'll need to pay most places a location fee plus leccy.

Renting a studio (or making a set to use in the corner of someone's warehouse over the weekend) will save you so much grief, and grief = money...

11 years, 10 months ago - cath le couteur

Adam, if you do go the build-set route. Be great to hear from you how much it cost.

11 years, 11 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

With such a comprehensive list of requirements (especially once you add in power, lighting, sound requirements, production offices, catering space, not being in peoples way, etc), have you considered building a 2-3 wall set? You can tile it to suit, dirty it up to suit, break as many tiles as you like, control the lighting, not have everything echoing like crazy, and still have production space.

11 years, 11 months ago - Daniel Cormack

Yes, I've known of people who've been working on TV dramas and borrowed the set when they weren't shooting.

Obviously, it's a massive help if you're actually working on the production. I doubt anyone will help a stranger who rocks up asking to use their sets during downtime, unless you flash the £££.

I think leafleting is only really a good option if you know that a particular area or building is likely to have the features you require. I'd definitely speak to your local borough film office and the architectural bodies I mentioned as they may be able to help you pinpoint where you're most likely to find what you're looking for.

11 years, 11 months ago - Daniel Cormack

I was originally going to suggest approaching bathroom showrooms, but reading your post it seems they would be too neat, clean and modern for you. (If you can find somewhere with the retro look you describe who would be happy to let you dress, ahem, the set with lots of rusty water stains and limescale effect, then it could still be an option...)

Other than that, perhaps you could seek out vacant buildings like care homes, asylums etc which might have all the stuff you need in situ.

I was doing a job where we were trying to find a flat to double up for a Polish flat from the Communist era in the 1980s and we tried leafletting as many council blocks as we could. We did find somewhere (in the end), but it was like a needle in a haystack. Council flats get done up every 10 or 20 years and when they've been privately bought the owners too tend to do them up.

Failing that there is English Heritage and all the various architectural bodies, such as the 20th Century Society.

Local borough filming offices are a good source of advice.

Lastly, there are all the location agencies. I put them last because in general I find them totally unsympathetic to low budget and short filmmakers. They know the going rate that a big studio picture will pay and rarely compromise on that to any meaningful degree. (Obviously, if someone knows of exceptions please feel free to set me straight, but the daily or half daily rate tends to be several hundred or even break the thousand pounds mark).

11 years, 11 months ago - Adam Lawson

Thanks for the advice guys. Very informative.

The flyering isn't something we originally considered but seems like a great idea.

I am also in the process of trying to persuade my co-producer that building a set won't be /that/ expensive.

Daniel, apologies for the non-specific description. I meant it more as a turn of phrase, but I suppose those aren't particularly useful when trying to explain your ideas to others...

Thanks guys!

Adam