Location Recce & Risk Assessment

Project Title: Memory Lane, Soap Trailer, Brief 5

Producer: Mel Thompson
Director: Lexi Benson
Camera Operator: Abigail Shuttleworth




















Location Recce & Risk Assessment
Date of visit: 13/10/14 Time: 15:14

Image: Address: 22 Hawthorn Close, Dunstable, LU6
3BL
Description of scene-
House in cul-de-sac, surrounded by trees and pathway.
Suitability of location-
This location is suitable as it is conventional for soaps to be set in a neighbourhood environment,
and the road is quiet so we will not have to worry too much about filming private information or
getting anyone in shots that dont want to be there. The road is easy to access and pathways ensure
that we will not be in the road at any time, and we have enough room to use the equipment without
creating too much obstruction.
Lighting
The lighting in the house will be mostly artificial bright lights with the help of natural light coming in
from windows. This could mean that the colours may be yellow, but the white balance feature on
the camera will help us to avoid this. The lighting outside of the house will be all natural, so we will
need to film on a day where the weather will complement the theme of the trailer. For example, our
trailer is filled with dramatic scenes, so dark, rainy weather could help us connote the mood to the
audience instead of a bright sunny day.
Noise Levels
The noise levels are not going to be high inside of the house, but the outside noise could include
wind and cars, as well as the gravel noise when the camera moves and ambient sounds include other
people shouting, dogs barking and noise from the school nearby.
Potential Hazards
Potential hazards include the fact that we could trip over things in the house or get in the way of
cars or people on the path or the road where we are filming
Overall suitability -
Overall this location is suitable as it is conventional for a soap opera trailer, and the hazards can be
reduced so that we can film as safely as possible.
Risk Assessment-
Hazard Person or
persons at risk
Likelihood
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Severity
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Risk level Measure taken to reduce
risk
Creating an
obstruction in
the road for
cars
Camera
operator and
actor
4 5 High Try to film on the path for
as much as possible and
make sure we are aware of
our surroundings at all
times during filming
Dropping the
camera onto
hard surface
Mel, Lexi and
Abbie as they
are
responsible for
looking after
school
equipment
2 5 Medium Make sure that the camera
strap is around wrist and
camera is put away into
bag when it is not being
used. Also make sure that
when it is on the tripod it is
fastened securely
Disrupting
neighbours
Neighbours 2 2 Low Make sure noise is kept to
a minimum and neighbours
are respected
Slipping on
wet surface
due to rain
Crew and
actors
2 4 High Make sure that crew and
actors are wearing
appropriate footwear for
the weather

Violation of
privacy as
people could
be featured
Public 3 2 Low Make sure that anyone
who is featured in the
trailer is aware that they
are being filmed, and avoid
filming number plates or
house numbers etc to
respect privacy


Location Recce & Risk Assessment
Date of visit: 13/10/14 Time: 15:23

Image: Address: 22 Hawthorn Close, Dunstable, LU6
3BL
Description of scene-
Teenage bedroom decorate grey and pink with bed and dressing table
Suitability of location-
This location is suitable as the character will be a teenage girl that is going to bed, the pink room
shows she is young and innocent so the audience will be able to understand that the issues she has
to face are difficult because she is still vulnerable
Lighting
The room is bright from the natural light from the window, but if it is raining then it can be dark so
we may need to use some artificial lighting. This could cause the camera to colour the shots yellow,
but we can use a white balance effect to avoid this
Noise Levels
There should be no noise interruptions in this shot, only the noisy floor but that will not be heard in
the clip as it will be accompanied by non-diegetic music
Potential Hazards
There are few hazards in this setting, only the risk of the camera person tripping over something if
they have to pan round as there isnt a lot of room for the equipment
Overall suitability
In conclusion, the overall suitability of this setting is good as it is conventional of a soap to feature a
lot of internal shots in houses to make it look more realistic and relatable. The room connotes the
age of the character without having to actually say anything to the audience, which means they are
more likely to understand the trailer content
Risk Assessment-
Hazard Person or
persons at risk
Likelihood
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Severity
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Risk level Measure taken to reduce
risk
Not a lot of
room to move
equipment
around, might
knock things
over
Mel, Lexi,
Abbie
2 2 Low Make sure that all
equipment is tidy and not
about to knock anything
over
Tripping over
objects in
room
Camera
operator and
actor
2 3 Medium Make sure that all objects
that are not needed in the
shot are moved to the side
or put away so they are not
an obstruction
















Location Recce & Risk Assessment
Date of visit: 13/10/14 Time: 15:25

Image: Address: 22 Hawthorn Close, Dunstable, LU6
3BL
Description of scene-
Bathroom with bath, sink, toilet and shower. Shared with two teenage girls
Suitability of location-
This location is suitable as it is another recognisable setting for the audience as all of them have
some sort of bathroom that they use as part of their everyday routine
Lighting
The lighting in this room will have to be mostly artificial which could cause it to have a yellow tone
like the image above, so hopefully a white balance effect will be able to help prevent that from
happening in the trailer
Noise Levels
There could be noise interruptions from the tripod as it can be heard as it is moved across the floor
during a long take/panning shot. Any crew that are present in this scene must ensure that they are
quiet when moving otherwise they will be heard
Potential Hazards
There is not a lot of room for the camera equipment to go so the crew will have to ensure that they
do not get in the way or be heard by the camera during filming
Overall suitability
Overall, this setting is suitable for filming as it helps us to make the soap trailer content look more
realistic as this is not a set but an actual location

Risk Assessment-
Hazard Person or
persons at risk
Likelihood
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Severity
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Risk level Measure taken to reduce
risk
Not a lot of
room to move
around as the
room has low
ceilings
Crew and
actors
2 3 Medium All actors and crew are out
the room when not needed
to allow space for the
people who need to be in
the scene, avoid filming in
small spaces where actors
could hit their heads
Slipping on
wet surface
(use of bath or
shower before
filming)
Crew and
actors
1 3 Medium Make sure that floor is dry


Location Recce & Risk Assessment
Date of visit: 13/10/14 Time: 15:16

Image: Address: 22 Hawthorn Close, Dunstable, LU6
3BL
Description of scene-
Road with long path and houses, next to a lower school surrounded by trees
Suitability of location-
This location is suitable for the shots because it is a conventional setting from a soap trailer, as it is
set in the road that the characters live on. It will also help us with any long takes as it is a long
stretch of road, but the surface is bumpy so we would have to carry out some test shots to work out
the best way of preventing the camera from shaking while recording
Lighting
This lighting will be all natural so it will depend on the weather. If it is a day like the one featured in
the photo then it will be suitable as it will connote the themes that are featured in our soap and help
to set the mood and give the audience an insight into what we will be focusing on
Noise Levels
There will be a high level of noise when we are filming down the road as there will be passing people
and cars, and depending on the weather there may be wind noise as well. We will try to avoid this by
using non-diegetic music to cover them
Potential Hazards
Potential hazards include obstructing the path of cars and people, so we will have to be aware of our
surroundings whilst filming to ensure that we do not get in the way. This also applies to equipment
as we will not be using it all at one time, so we will have to make sure that that is also not in the way
Overall suitability
In conclusion, this location is suitable as it is conventional of a soap opera to feature shots from the
characters road. It will help to make the shots look more realistic and will help the audience to relate
as it is a similar setting to ones that they would see every day. It would lessen the appeal to
audiences overseas as they may not be used to these types of settings
Risk Assessment-
Hazard Person or
persons at risk
Likelihood
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Severity
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Risk level Measure taken to reduce
risk
Obstructing
the path of
the public or
cars
Camera
operator and
actor
4 5 High Make sure that the film
crew are aware of what is
going on and make sure
that all equipment is out of
the way when not in use
Violation of
privacy as
people could
be featured
Public 3 2 Low Make sure that anyone
who is featured in the
trailer is aware that they
are being filmed, and avoid
filming number plates or
house numbers etc to
respect privacy
Disrupting
neighbours
Neighbours 2 2 Low Make sure that noise level
is kept to a minimum and
no crew or equipment is in
their way
Slipping on
wet surface
Crew and
actors
2 4 High Make sure that all crew
and actors are wearing
appropriate footwear
depending on the weather
conditions
Dropping the
camera on
hard surface
Mel, Lexi,
Abbie as they
are
responsible for
looking after
school
equipment
2 5 Medium Make sure that the camera
strap is used at all times
and the camera is securely
fastened to the tripod to
avoid breaking it


Location Recce & Risk Assessment
Date of visit: 13/10/14 Time: 15:25
Address: 14 Holmwood Close, Dunstable, LU5 4QX
Description of scene:
This scene will take place in Jamies bedroom- we will
see him wake up in the morning and leave his room.
Suitability of location:
This location is suitable as it is easy to access and we will
only need permission from parents to film here. We
dont need a large space and therefore this room is
ideal. It is a males bedroom and therefore is decorated
in the right way
Lighting:
The lighting is likely to be natural and therefore the
footage should be clear and a realistic representation of
colours creating a sense of verisimilitude. Hopefully we
wont need to use artificial lighting and the large
window in the bedroom should let enough natural light
to make the footage look professional.
Noise Levels:
There will be little noise from this location- internal sounds will be unlikely as we may choose to film
at a time where nobody is in. External noises are also infrequent as the house is in a close and little
traffic passes through.
Fortunately we dont need any ambient sounds from this scene so we could edit out any unwanted
sound of dialogue after filming.
Potential Hazards
Potential hazards could include damage to the equipment as there is not a lot of room. We also need
to make sure that objects not being used as props are moved out of the way to avoid tripping over.
Overall suitability -
Very suitable- lighting should be appropriate and relevant for our trailer and the noise should not be
a problem.




Risk Assessment-
Hazard Person or
persons at risk
Likelihood
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Severity
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Risk level Measure taken to reduce
risk
Damage
equipment
belonging to
the owner
The owner 4 2 Medium Be careful when using the
room in order to make sure
no damage is caused to the
owners stuff. Be careful
where you are
standing/sitting




















Location Recce & Risk Assessment
Date of visit: 13/10/14 Time: 15:25
Address: 14 Holmwood Close, Dunstable, LU5 4QX
Description of scene:
This scene will take place in my kitchen- we will follow
Jamie walking downstairs from his bed and into the
kitchen. He will stand in the doorway of the kitchen and
from here the camera will pan round (180 degree) to
show an argument between two other characters and
the reaction of Jamies face.
Suitability of location:
Similarly, this location is suitable as it is easy to access
and we will only need permission from parents to film
here. The way that the kitchen is positioned is ideal as
Jamie will be able to stand near to the door and the
camera front this point will be able to pan round the
characters without having to cut the shot, thus
enhancing the significance of the long take.
Lighting in location:
The lighting in the kitchen is high key as natural light is evident through the large window near the
door. This will make the production look natural and will reduce any yellow/artificial lighting. This
will have a particular positive impact if the weather is bright outside.
Noise Levels:
It is highly unlikely that there will be any noise disturbance as my family will know that we are
filming and therefore they will not be using this area of the house resulting in there being no or little
noise in the house. Additionally the house is located in a small close where there is minimal traffic
and external disruptions. Even if there is a low level of noise present in our production this shouldnt
affect us as we intend to include a soundtrack and crop out any noise recorded.
Potential Hazards
Potential hazards could include hitting heads on cupboards overhead as there are some awkward
angled shots including the 180 degree rule which requires us to move around a lot.
Overall suitability:
Very suitable- unlikely to be disturbed, location is quiet and room will make the production look
realistic creating verisimilitude and will look conventional of a soap opera.


Risk Assessment-
Hazard Person or
persons at risk
Likelihood
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Severity
of hazard
1-very
low, 5-
very high
Risk level Measure taken to reduce
risk
Tripping Crew and
actors
4 2 Medium Take extra care when
walking round the set
Water
damage to the
equipment
Crew 1 3 Medium Be careful to make sure we
dont take any of the
equipment near to sink
Hitting your
head
Actors/crew 2 3 Medium Take care when walking
past the cupboards/door