Filmmaking / Directing : Location? Location? Location? by Stephen Foster

Stephen Foster

Location? Location? Location?

Hi all,

I'm doing a small crew independent shoot and am looking for an office with cubicles, an east facing wall/parking lot and an airplane gate in Los Angeles (or nearby) for CHEAP!   This is super duper low budget and non-union. I've tried peersoace and giggstger and have not found anything that is just right! Any suggestions for spaces? I'm thinking outside the box here! 

Thank you! 

Tommy Luca

Just build a small set of an office cubicle enough room for the Talents' action or business of dialogue and film that. Then just extend it with a Matte Painting, now digitally done on a computer with Photoshop. It's a super lower cost and very time conserving than the actual location. Unless some elements include the commercial passenger jet to be moving? Then you will need either a Model Miniature which you'll need someone that knows what they're doing because it involves tremendous technical planning especially Forced Perspective Photography and a formula which I've mastered over the years that I learned from studying ILM, it will involve more than just point-and-film or you could go with CGI or just film an actual Location which would be more expensive and you'll need permits and more red tape but I always go with filming in-camera because it is best, but CGI can run in the millions of dollars. I do this kind of stuff all the time, it's the way I work. I use techniques from over a century of Cinema. I'd say this kind of way going about filming this sequence or shot would cost out of the budget anywhere from $500-$10,000. for Matte Paintings and Miniatures. I'm not sure because it depends on what exactly you want. For CGI? Hundreds of Thousands to Millions added to the Production budget.

Tommy Luca

Here's an example... TRON (1982)

Dirk Patton

I would try contacting some commercial real estate agents. Perhaps they have some clients with office space sitting empty and would be happy to earn a couple of hundred bucks to let you in for shooting. Lots of office spaces end up with cubicles being left behind when a tenant moves out.

Tommy Luca

Depending on what state you are based, you could get in touch with your local Film Commission. New Jersey's is the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission (NJMPTC) https://nj.gov/state/njfilm/index.shtml Or Film Hunterdon https://filmhunterdon.com

Karen "Kay" Ross

Would you consider Palm Springs, CA?

Stephen Foster

Karen "Kay" Ross I might! I was looking for something a bit more LA based!

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