The Ideal Shooting Location

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

I want to find a one location shooting location for my sequel.

I need to create a high tech military base on an alien world.

My first choice would be a college campus that used to be a golf course. That would give me woods, buildings, computer labs, a robotics lab, a lunchroom, and open space.

A second choice would be a public park. I can get free permits and police security for a public park.

I'm planning for a good amount of greenscreen shooting to add stock footage of military stuff to make the location look more like a base.

Any other suggestions? :huh:
 
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To bad you dont live near anchorage alaska. we have an abandoned nike missle base called "site summit". We also have site point and site bay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-zDvdveARDE&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-zDvdveARDE&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
 
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Depending how much and the style of lighting (and props) and ultimately the story, I might seek out a vacant factory. I don’t know about there, but here there are whole little areas of them that no one is making a dime on.
The “right” one might have:

*Long hallways.
*Lots of office space for various on and off camera use.
*Insane bolier room of death.
*Huge open interior space for general shots or green screening.
*Fire escapes.
*Catwalks.
*Roof access.
*High chain link/razor wire fences that you can throw some prop signs on.
*Crazy visually useful plumbing or the skeletal remains of machinery.
*Some kind of sham wooded area and creek where their toxic waste quietly went.
*A main outdoor sign island or corner of the property sign that you can prop or post alter.

I might also look at securing use of a few contemporary architecture office towers (Exteriors, like on a Sunday morning) that might have cool futuristic lines or patterns you can tilt down or pull back from or something and use as establishing shots and/or that we see your characters enter, then use another location as the interior.


-Thanks-
 
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For a no budget film, a military base on an alien planet is a massive undertaking. It won't look convincing no matter how you do it. Not that you can't have fun with it...you can...I'm only telling you what a producer would tell you. :) Don't do it kid! Hahah. No...go for it, just know what you're getting into.

Two good tips: Write what your budget allows. Shoot what your budget allows.

The more creative and talented you and your team are...the further you can stretch a budget. Good luck.
 
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My first choice would be a college campus that used to be a golf course. That would give me woods, buildings, computer labs, a robotics lab, a lunchroom, and open space.

A second choice would be a public park. I can get free permits and police security for a public park.
Click to expand...

Seems to me like you have only one choice there...campus with robotics lab/computer lab or public park with idiots playing hackey-sack in the background? TAKE THE CAMPUS!

Almost any mid-sized campus could substitute for a military base. It'll have academic buildings but also a physical plant/motor pool with garages and gas tanks, plus a parade ground, maybe even a guard shack, etc. And if you can also get inside the science labs, well...there you go.

For the alien world, you could quite easily and feasibly do '70s style process shots and change the color of the atmosphere, or add one or two suns, etc. The forest moon of Endor, Tatooine, Hoth, the Degobah system...all alien worlds that all look kind of like Earth.
 
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Ya, campus could work. Plus they might be cool with you shooting there. Other options might require permits and/or renting the location, which could get expensive fast.

Have a lot of custom signs, detail work, props, etc that you can retro-fit to your location to communicate what and where you are. Don't expect all of this to work itself out in post. The more you can do with practical design, the better.
 
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Uranium City said:
Seems to me like you have only one choice there...campus with robotics lab/computer lab or public park with idiots playing hackey-sack in the background? TAKE THE CAMPUS!

Almost any mid-sized campus could substitute for a military base. It'll have academic buildings but also a physical plant/motor pool with garages and gas tanks, plus a parade ground, maybe even a guard shack, etc. And if you can also get inside the science labs, well...there you go.

For the alien world, you could quite easily and feasibly do '70s style process shots and change the color of the atmosphere, or add one or two suns, etc. The forest moon of Endor, Tatooine, Hoth, the Degobah system...all alien worlds that all look kind of like Earth.
Click to expand...


You are thinking pretty much the way I see it.

There certainly is a guard house and security. I'm thinking of a city university where I can possibly work out a deal to shoot with the mayor's office's film commission.

I did some post effects at the end of my feature I, Creator to turn a winter day into a nuclear winter. So, it is doable to make the sky appear red like Mars. Or, I can give it an original tint.
 
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gooberman said:
To bad you dont live near anchorage alaska. we have an abandoned nike missle base called "site summit". We also have site point and site bay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-zDvdveARDE&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-zDvdveARDE&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
Click to expand...


WOW! I wish the cast and I lived close to take advantage of that beautiful location. :rolleyes:
 
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Buddy Greenfield said:
Depending how much and the style of lighting (and props) and ultimately the story, I might seek out a vacant factory. I don’t know about there, but here there are whole little areas of them that no one is making a dime on.
The “right” one might have:

*Long hallways.
*Lots of office space for various on and off camera use.
*Insane bolier room of death.
*Huge open interior space for general shots or green screening.
*Fire escapes.
*Catwalks.
*Roof access.
*High chain link/razor wire fences that you can throw some prop signs on.
*Crazy visually useful plumbing or the skeletal remains of machinery.
*Some kind of sham wooded area and creek where their toxic waste quietly went.
*A main outdoor sign island or corner of the property sign that you can prop or post alter.

I might also look at securing use of a few contemporary architecture office towers (Exteriors, like on a Sunday morning) that might have cool futuristic lines or patterns you can tilt down or pull back from or something and use as establishing shots and/or that we see your characters enter, then use another location as the interior.


-Thanks-
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions. Good stuff!
 
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I find it useful to work on finding shooting locations while the script is being developed because it helps me to plan my options more exactly as I write the script. That's why I'm starting location scouting so early.
 
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