Pre-production planning: Choosing locations

Choosing Locations

Choosing locations for our film is very vital during our planning phase, especially since our film will be in a highschool setting. Figuring that out was one of our earlier obstacles; although we could film at the highschool we already attend, this school is not the fit that we need in terms of Mise en scene. Everything like the background, foreground, props and etc. should be taken in close detail as it also represents the characters. The students that attend the "school" (we will determine the name momentarily) are put to high social standards because of their surroundings. Students backgrounds will mostly consist of middle class and upper middle class, therefore, the students will hold themselves to higher titles and looks. 

What we wanted:

We wanted to find a location that is not a school, but resembles one. Doing this makes it easier to film, so that there are no public distractions or noises and we have more public access to the location. I already had a location in mind that I often see, and feel that it could resemble a school. Fortunately for us, we will only need exterior shots, so only the outside appearance of the building matters. 

What we found:

A two-story strip plaza, called The Walk, that closely resembles a nicely constructed school. It is located close to everyone, which is a benefit. A weakness is that because it is a public area, people may get in the way or the shop/restaurants could accidently appear in frame. But, there is a Barnes and Noble that is close walking distance. Barnes and Noble is a public bookstore, which I know can be shot in; therefore, we can use it as the "school's library" in certain shots.

The Walk, plaza 

                                                                    Barnes and Noble

Additionally, for our montage, we wanted a location that is more convenient. Rather than running around the city, taking montage photos at multiple different locations; what we needed was a mall and a big one. We needed shopping outlets, preferably luxury brands to show her past lux lifestyle. Restaurants to show how she likes to dine out. Entertainment areas like movie theaters or arcades that demonstrates how lively she was in terms of her social life. Even areas that are just for site seeing, perfect for picture moments. 

What we found:

Town center at Boca Raton was the perfect fit for this. It's luxury branded stores and many restaurants would make the perfect montage locations. We need many different scenarios with her hanging with friends and just being by herself, so this mall will be most convenient to film in. The mall is also very modernized, and gives a richening experience everywhere you go. The only downside is that it is far in distance to everyone. To fix this we may have to resort to carpooling and only bringing a minimum amount of people. This makes it easier to manage transportation and the group at the location. 

Town center at Boca Raton 

                                                      Map of Town center at Boca Raton