Written by Kianna Best on Jun 28, 2024. Posted in General Interest / On Location

Making UK Locations Work

Emma Pill, Harriet Lawrence and Ben Ahmed have contributed to some of the biggest recent film and television releases. We uncover all the tools they needed when searching for the perfect backdrops and facilitating smooth shoots cross the United Kingdom.

EMMA PILL: MASTERS OF THE AIR

For Emma Pill, preparation is key. In her 20 years of location work, every experience has brought its own asks, but the essentials remain constant. These include an organised image filing system, scouting locations at certain times of the day to ensure the best quality images are sent back to the production team, or simply making sure that toilets are accessible to everyone on shoot. Keeping a mental note and track of locations used/not used is also key.

 

I used an Olympus OM-D - M10 camera, and a selection of lenses to photograph locations, and I find it really helpful to also grab a few short videos on the I-phone as well.

 

“As scripts are written, or schedules change, often you have to find new scripted locations, even when you have started shooting, especially on such a long project. So I revert back to what was scouted, and possibly discounted at the time for a specific location, as it may be suitable for something else that has just been written.”

 

For Apple TV+ World War II mini-series Masters of the Air (pictured above), Pill and the production team needed to bring to life the experiences of members of the 100th Bomber Group as they flew in their Flying Fortress over enemy lines. Impressively, they managed to double a lot of the German scenes in the UK, including Pitchcott Farm, just north east of Aylesbury, and at the industrial Didcot Railway Centre.

 

Abingdon airfield also doubled for Thorpe Abbotts control tower and runway, and Pill’s team had to arrange additional locations around Hemel Hempstead and Oxfordshire to fulfill the historic narrative.

 

She reports, “I used an Olympus OM-D - M10 camera, and a selection of lenses to photograph locations, and I find it really helpful to also grab a few short videos on the I-phone as well. Stills are great, but it’s always helpful to have a few 360-degree videos when scouting a location.”

 

Scouting at the right time of day is also important. If it’s going to be a night shoot, for example, then the recce needs to be done at the same time, in case anything is missed during the day, insists Pill.

 

Once the locations are chosen, she then secures permissions to shoot and ensures the smooth running of filming, including dealing with local communities.

 

Each location manager has many suppliers that they build a good working relationship with, who understand the changes of schedule and can accommodate last minute requests.

 

“We rely heavily on a good security team on a daily basis. Film security is an extension of the location team. They have to have great communication skills, as you never know how the day might unfold, whether it is dealing with an upset resident on a street or diverting dog walkers from their normal woodland walk. A good security company can make your job much easier,” says Pill.

 

Shooting during the pandemic produced its own set of challenges and requirements to follow for optimal safety, including supersized marquees to accommodate the social distancing of the production’s 250 supporting artists in costume, makeup and catering.

 

“Each location manager has many suppliers that they build a good working relationship with, who understand the changes of schedule and can accommodate last minute requests.”

HARRIET LAWRENCE: SALTBURN

Salacious thriller Saltburn has been a huge talking point, not only for its infamous bath scene, but also the striking locations matched to the sadistic narrative.

 

From Oxfordshire to Northamptonshire, Harriet Lawrence, with her trusted Nikon SLR in hand and two sets of waterproofs to contest the typical British weather, navigated the various locations, including Oxford university and stately Drayton House (which has seen tourist visits skyrocket since the film’s release).

 

“Oxford is a masterpiece of architecture in the UK, and it isn't easy to work in its medieval city. It's not designed for the sort of film crews and the size of what we bring with us, but what you get from Oxford on screen is worth it in every single way.”

 

A willingness to chase down any hunch is also key. You need to go through that door that says ‘no entry’, not leaving any stone unturned.

 

To manage the shoot, Lawrence finds the internet a useful tool, but insists the traditional, in-person approach still proves most beneficial. Working with the Oxford Film Office, Lawrence and the production team were able to have firsthand guidance from a team who are well versed in filming at the university, juggling shoot periods between academic term time and busy tourism periods.

 

“There's nothing that beats actually standing there, feeling it, seeing what's around you, seeing how the light falls, seeing how different elements of that location relate to each other. You can't get that from your desk.”

 

Driven by sheer curiosity, but with 30 years of location references in mind, Lawrence decided to take a fresh approach to filming Saltburn. With Aigle wellies on, she would set out at 8am before the tourists flocked to Oxford’s historical sites, even taking the unique approach of scouting from the rooftops and spires of the college where the lead characters, Felix and Oliver, study in the film.

 

The OS and Tide apps, proved helpful for Lawrence’s scout and shoot periods, but she insists that a traditional map is always a must (along with a square of dark chocolate).

 

“A willingness to chase down any hunch is also key. You need to go through that door that says ‘no entry’, not leaving any stone unturned. Any slightest hint of something that could be interesting, nine times out of ten, it may lead to nothing but it just takes that one chance to find something mind blowing that can actually make a difference to that film. I rely on maps. I rely on the Internet. But I'd say curiosity is up there at the top of any scout’s toolkit,” concludes Lawrence.

BEN AHMED: THE BOYS IN THE BOAT

Filming for Apple TV+ series The Boys in the Boat (pictured above)  involved capturing 1920s, 1930s and 1940s America and Germany using the UK’s rural landscapes and historic buildings.

 

Good examples included rebuilding a replica of the famous ASUW (Associated Students of the University of Washington) Shell House on location at Cleveland Lakes in Swindon, Wiltshire, alongside structural sets to double for Seattle, New York and Hooverville.

 

The Cotswold Water Park lake next to the duplicated ASUW building stood in for Lake Washington and was later dressed as the Berlin Olympic course.

 

“I was really lucky because a good amount of the scouting had already been done by the unit production manager of the show,” says supervising location manager Ben Ahmed. “It gave us a great jumping off point as we had a lot of ground to cover in a relatively short space of time.

 

Adapting Daniel James Brown’s number one New York Times bestseller, the George Clooney directed The Boys in the Boat is an account of the 1936 University of Washington rowing team’s journey to competing at the Summer Olympics in Berlin.

 

The Cotswold Water Park lake next to the duplicated ASUW building stood in for Lake Washington and was later dressed as the Berlin Olympic course.

 

To find and capture these locations, Ahmed combed his own portfolio, but also trekked to the sites with fresh eyes, taking in Swindon, Ashton Keynes and Wiltshire.

 

“I love using (image sharing and hosting site) SmugMug because it’s quick and I can upload photos on the go. I shoot from an iPhone, which I know will split the room a little, but it’s so easy to upload photos and send folders across to people and get almost instant feedback and then move on. It’s a great practical tool to use.

 

“Another big thing I rely on is what’s actually written on the page. I think if you keep going back to the script, especially when you’re searching for locations, you can’t go wrong.”

 

I think it’s safe to say that the locations did a lot of the heavy lifting in the show. We really assisted with the storytelling, making the characters and plots believable.

 

Securing locations and ensuring their full potential aligns with the narrative is no easy feat, Ahmed concedes. One particular site that took a lot of work was Kings Cross, especially shutting down a portion of the station for scenes. Another logistically troubling place was the Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre at the University College London, which needed to double for a US lecture hall. But they got there in the end conscious that the locations were strong and a perfect fit.

 

“I think it’s safe to say that the locations did a lot of the heavy lifting in the show. We really assisted with the storytelling, making the characters and plots believable.”

 

This article appears in the Cannes issue of our makers magazine which will be widely available at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024.

Click here to find out more.