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Seeking a location in London - Cafe

6 years, 3 months ago - Sahera Khan

I am planning a short film (non commercial) with a low budget.

I am looking for an informal or local cafe anywhere in London e.g. Greater London.

The shoot will be for one day - a Saturday 10am to 6pm.

It would be internal shooting only - two chairs and table with two actors sitting and talking. We would not film the public and the rest of the cafe could remain open while we are filming.

I hope to shoot over the late summer.

I am hoping that the location may be free or very cheap.

Please contact Filmmaker Sahera Khan, my email is skhan01@live.co.uk

About this project, more information at http://kck.st/2vuX1Wv

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6 years, 3 months ago - Marlom Tander

If all you are filming is as described, is it even obvious that it's a cafe? Not showing an exterior, not showing staff, not showing the counter area.....

You also want to shoot on the busiest day of the week for cafe's.

Although you only need to film one table and chairs, you'll also need space around it, and before you know it, you've taken up a LOT of the cafe space.

So, what looks like a cafe but isn't actually open on a Saturday? Or likes interesting stuff going on? Or isn't a cafe but is a similar social space.

I'd be considering local schools and colleges cafe areas as suitable fake cafe's. Closed on Satuirdays so may be open to you. Esp if you can say "BTW, if the drama people fancy being extras, fine by me". I'd be thinking pubs with large beer gardens, where they could take the view that they can spare a corner table because you'll be getting profitably hungry and thirsty during the day :-)

I'd also be wondering if the scene needed a cafe? Most "character interaction scenes" are actually wide open as to where they can be held, from a story POV, and setting them in specific locations is often about screen candy rather than story.

I've got one scene which is written as "guy is holding on to a lifting bridge as it rises, girl is on the bank". It's a comedy, the conversation is about their relationship, and I think I can get hold of the right bridge :-) But if I can't, I can think of many other ways to stage the same conversation to carry the story, even if I don't get quite the physical comedy in the scene.

Good luck with the cafe, but def keep your eyes open for quiet pubs with large beer gardens meantime :-)

Response from 6 years, 3 months ago - Marlom Tander SHOW

6 years, 2 months ago - Dorothy Iskrzynska

Hi Sahera, as Marlom mentioned, Saturday would usually be a tricky day for most cafes. Luckily there's quite a lot of them in London so if you contact the owners personally you might have some luck - I would probably target areas that tend to be busier on a weekday, i.e. surrounded by offices and located further from residential areas or touristy spaces. Smaller, individually owned businesses should also be easier to get in touch with. I presume for some there could also be a value of actually featuring the shop in the film for promotional purposes.

If you do have any budget for this, you can have a look at:
https://www.headbox.com
https://www.venuescanner.com
https://hirespace.com
https://www.tagvenue.com

They tend to have small budget hire solutions and quite a few cafes using the platforms that you can contact individually and maybe even negotiate the hire fee depending on what you're filming etc.

Response from 6 years, 2 months ago - Dorothy Iskrzynska SHOW

6 years, 2 months ago - Richard Anthony Dunford

Your best bet for trying to get a location for free or very cheap is to shoot around their opening hours so they don't lose out on business. Also if you're recording any audio/dialogue etc filming at a café while still open to the public you're gonna make life really difficult for yourself.

When seeking out locations in the past for no-budget stuff I've found if you contact 10 you may get 1-2 replies so you just need to try as many as possible really. Alternatively the above suggestions about a college café closed on the weekend sounds like good initiative.

Response from 6 years, 2 months ago - Richard Anthony Dunford SHOW

6 years, 2 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

How about the cafe at a university campus? Often empty/quiet at weekends

Response from 6 years, 2 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW

6 years, 2 months ago - Sahera Khan

Hello, thank you so much. That is very useful.

Sahera

Response from 6 years, 2 months ago - Sahera Khan SHOW