Location Scouting - Art Studio

Location Scouting

The Art Studio

A family friend of mine happens to be an artist and kindly offered to lend us their art studio to film our project. Before we finalise our idea, I decided to visit the studio and take a number of photographs showcasing the decor of the studio.

The Entrance

The studio is situated in a Victorian edifice, so the walls are tarnished and the ceiling plasterwork is ornate and decorative. This gives an eerie feel to the building, and if used with a low key lighting set up could be very effective. However, one issue with this area of the building is the blue doorframe - these perhaps ruin the antique aesthetic to the hall. It may be better to use a quick shot of the dilapidated walls rather than a lengthy scene in the hallway.

A shot of the building's entrance from the staircase

A high-expoure shot from the front doorway

The Studio

The studio is cluttered and busy - however there are a number of interesting props we could use. The aesthetic of the studio could be effective in a more arty piece, however for our genre of choice it would probably not be particularly effective.

The mantlepiece

The Studio

The parts of interest I picked out included:

• The victorian mantlepiece - this could be cleared and used
• The rustic mirror leaning against the wall on the mantlepiece
• The antique painting hanging on the wall above the mantlepiece

Hallway #2

The second hallway has an interesting wooden mirror with ivy on it - this could potentially be used to film a shot from the reflection of the mirror. The style of the mirror and paintings emphasises the rustic aesthetic that typically is associated with the horror genre.

Hallway #2

 The Mural

Although the mural is an interesting aspect of the art studio, its lively aesthetic is unlikely to do us any favours in terms of filming a horror opening.

The Spare Bedroom

The spare bedroom features a large mirror, which again could be used for an interestingly angled shot. I also am keen on the lampshade, which is very rustic. With a low key lighting set up, I think that the furniture in this room could really have an eerie feel to it, as the paintings on the walls and the ubiquitous patina have a very captivating aesthetic. This style of decor is commonly associated with the horror genre, so fits well with the codes and conventions of horror.

Overall, I think we could definitely take some interesting shots from this building, however it is unlikely we will use it as our main focal location. We could also borrow some of the interesting props and transport them to an alternative location.