Location Scouting 1

Reading through my script, I have taken note of the various locations I shall need. 

1. Roadside: Where Dylan's brother is killed and where Dylan delivers his monologue/Where the Father lays flowers at the end
2. Car Park: Where Dylan is parked waiting for the man to appear
3. The Rural Path: The rustic walkway where Dylan stalks the man
4. Another Road: Where the man and his son get into his car and drive away

When writing the screenplay, I did so with several locations already in mind. I knew that I needed to consider accessibility and the likelihood of these settings being used by other people, and while I want my short film to be quite eerie and sparse, I also want to show signs of community and urbanisation. 

The Big Mead Part 1

There is a local park called the Big Mead about ten minutes from my house, with a long and winding walkway going around the back of it. This is where I intend to do the majority of the second act, specifically where Dylan follows the father and son. It is an ideal location because of the parallels it shares with my narrative. The first part of the path is very cramped with overhanging trees that stop a lot of the sunlight from coming through. This would be very atmospheric for where Dylan pursues the man with his gun raised, because a darker, shady setting would complement the tone of the scene. 
One possible downside is that this is a public location, so although I won't need permission to film there I will need to be aware of dog walkers and other members of the public who use the park for a stroll. This is why I hope to get out early in the morning to make use of the empty path before it gets busy. 

I've included the shot below because I spotted it whilst out scouting the location. Although the photo doesn't show it clearly, this was taken from an aerial position so I thought that I would be able to set the camera up here to get an aerial shot, which could add some visual variation from the tracking shots that follow the characters from the ground. 

The shots below show an opening to the side of the walkway which will be the perfect place for the Son to appear from. Whilst filming the path from the front this opening is hard to spot and so it will be plausible for Dylan to be completely surprised when he appears. 

The Big Mead Part 2

The second section of the Big Mead is a much more open walk. I am hoping to use this for the part of my narrative where Dylan stalks the man and his son, perplexed by their humanity. Since it is a much more spacial setting, the sunlight and sky are much more visible and when I film here I should be able to capture the brighter lighting. I want the vibrancy of the lighting to juxtapose the darkness of the shady walkway beforehand, reflecting how Dylan's mood has changed from hellbent revenge to a more compassionate understanding. 

Again, the problem with this location is that it is public. But while I was out taking these pictures I did not encounter many people and I would conclude that this is due to the winter temperatures outside, so I shouldn't be interrupted too much whilst shooting on location. And the other downside to filming outside is the reliability of the weather, because for the two contrasting conditions I want I shall be relying largely on the spontaneity of the weather forecasts.