Final Plans for Edale

Final Plans.
Right, D-day approaches! As it does Poppy and I have been
putting together our ideas in order to come up with a final plan of action.
Unfortunately for several reasons it was not possible for us
to get out to Edale before the shoot. This is a sort of hindrance but we were
able to get around it. Firstly we researched the area in great detail. Looked
at maps, photos, and on the internet. Due to Edale being such a tourist
destination there are many sites where there are numerous reports of what the
area is like. Both the village and the surrounding countryside. This had been
an invaluable resource in our planning. From the many reports from online and
from friends who were able to visit beforehand we have been able to ‘pain a
picture’ of the location. From this then we have been able to come up with our
final plans.
So our final idea; every place is not entirely what is
seems. This may sound like a cliché but we shall approach it in such a way that
this is not how the final film turns out.
The main out line is really quite simple, there are two
Edales, and one is the norm, the tourist attraction, the quaint little village
seated in the beauty of the peak district attracting visitors from miles
around. The other is darker and hidden from view. It is an ancient place steeped
in the magic that runs through the hills and dales of the peaks. Our intention
s to create an experimental film that reflects this.
Our plan for tomorrow is to do the shoot in two stages.
First we film the first Edale. There images with be that of any typical holiday
photo book. The train station, where most adventures begin. The main village,
where there is the typical tourist draws, the pub, the little cafes, the grand
old church and the national trust visitors centre. Then there is the beautiful
countryside. Vast sweeping hills that draw in walkers all year round. We intend
to use a lot of wide shot for this, in order to encompass the beauty, as anyone
would taking holiday snaps. It is important to us that we show the idea of a
holiday, as the weather will most likely not be on our side we will need to
pick our shots carefully in order to reflect, those holiday memories that we
all hole dear.
The second stage is to shoot ‘the other Edale’. We will do
this handheld. There are two reasons why we have chosen to do this. The first
is that it will create even more of a noticeable difference between the two Edales
is one is obviously from a tripod and the other is not. The other reason is
that by shooting from a handheld camera, we can get closer to our props. It
will be possible to create really extreme close ups and make it feel much more
personal. Also it will be a lot more spooky, the audience will feel as if it is
from there point of view, they are taking part in it. This creates a bigger
impact on them, which in turn makes the film more powerful. In terms of
locations for this part of the shoot. We have seen a few photos on the internet
giving us ideas as well as advice from friends about the places they found when
they got out there. One place we definitely want to film is in the woods. Woods
have many connotations which will make the film more effective. They are seen as
places of magic and wonder which enforces the ideas of mysticism and witch
craft. However they are also seen as places, where things lurk in the shadow,
they are places of the unknown. After all in almost every fairy tale there is a
scene where the protagonists are threatened are scared while in a wood. They
are places of the unknown, shrouded in leave they can hide another world from
us the outsiders. These elements are essential to help create meaning in the
film. By choosing to shoot here we will be able to have a major effect on the
audience simply by playing on their preconceived ideas of place.
Playing on the audiences preconceived ideas will be a big
part of the film. We are aiming to create an atmosphere of creepiness in the film.
Therefore it is important that we draw on the ‘fears’ that the audience may
have of witch craft. Many people have misconstrued ideas about what it is, but
for the purposes of this film I could be incredibly helpful. By playing up to
these ideas, for example with the clay effigy or ‘sally’ as we have now names
her. This obviously relates to not only witchcraft but also to voodoo and many
other ancient practices. By doing this we hope to tap into that part of the audience’s
mind that see this as dangerous or scary. This will make our film more
effective.
Anyway, getting back to the actual shoot. In the second half
of the day we intend to also film in the graveyard. In terms of planning for
the film we decided on this because it is the perfect way to represent the two
Edales. We have the churchyard, a tourist spot, of beauty but also with
religious and historic connotations that stretch back for at least a thousand
years. We intend to use these and by placing ‘sally’ in this situation we will
be able to create meaning for the audience. The two Edales ‘light and dark’ in
the same shot.
So, to conclude, our plan for tomorrow is to shoot is to
shoot in two parts. Firstly we’ll shoot the tourist shots using the tripod and
do a ‘film walk’ from the station through the village and a bit of the countryside
in order to get the scenic shots. After Lunch we shall continue to film the
witch scenes through the use of hand held.
All in all we’re ready to get filming.