Wanted: Filming Locations

As we’re moving into production, it’s time to nail down primary filming locations.  The audio track we’ve spent weeks putting together is the spine for the film, and will lead the way on deciding what locations to shoot in.

Here’s my list of 5 primary locations with notes.

Primary Locations

• Seattle folklife festival (May 24-26) –  I’ve met with the organizers and this will be a great opportunity for us to get footage of artists and musicians (not office workers) doing their thing. We can also do two for one here: tighter shots of individuals working/performing, as well as wide shots of the huge number of creative people and Seattleites at the festival. (An alternative could be the next Maker Faire or a busy day at Makerhaus).
• Myrtle Edwards Park / Sculpture park – Facing to the north, we can shoot the running trail through the park, and the small beach (“find a starfish on every run” – Karen at 1:30 in the audio). Facing to the South, we can get a shot of the Seattle skyline. It’s a two for one. We can also get some B-roll in the sculpture park particularly the (Richard Sera Wake sculpture, and the view from the bridge down to Elliot ave).
• Startup Office TBD: We will need footage from a working tech company office. We’d need to do some scouting to find suitable locations. UpGlobal might work if they’d have us. What we want is a grungy, low-fi place, preferably in an old building or loft, with high energy happy people working and collaborating. Makerhaus on a busy day could also work, as handcrafts are more cinematic than people typing at laptops.
• Fancy impressive Office TBD. A high end, beautifully architected modern workplace, as counterpoint to the startup office. Ideally the vibe juxtaposes the architecture, with a lively light-funky atmosphere fitting for Seattle. Something that says modern and technical but not hospital sterile.
• Restaurant / Kitchen / Bar TBD. At the 3 minute mark is a riff on the audio track about neighborhoods and restaurants. We’ll need at least one interior location of a busy, friendly bar, and an open kitchen with people working, and happy people eating/drinking.

B-Roll / Secondary Footage

I have specific thoughts for secondary footage we’re going to need. We’ll likely need some hand picked extras to participate in the shots. In will be harder to co-ordinate, but I can imagine having the same “cast” of 4 or 5 people who show up in many of these short scenes (e.g. dancing with the dance steps on Broadway, and running through the Wake sculpture at the sculpture park).

• Seattle public library, yellow escalators & red floor
• Street Murals / Street Art (pickups of some of our best: the dance steps, Hendrix on Broadway, the murals on 4th ave? others?)
• An art studio where work is being made / Makerhaus? / Seattle Art Walk?
• 15th avenue, bars & street scene (mentioned by Jesse at ~3:30 in the audio track)
• WA State Ferries in the sound from the waterfront (mentioned by Karen at ~2:30)
• I-90 facing east from Seattle, with the lake in view, and boats on the lake

How you can help

Read the above list again, carefully please.

If you have a suggestion for a location that might fit what we’re looking for, please let us know. If you know someone who owns / runs a location that might work that’s great too.

Please leave a comment or email me directly. Provide a photo or two if it’s a private location so we can see for ourselves which will answer most of our basic questions quickly without dozens of emails.

Volunteer wanted: Anyone interested in being our locations scout, and lead the process of finding, securing locations? We’d love to hear from you.