What is very important when scouting and selecting the shooting location is to ensure that the production's many technical and logistical needs are met. Although the location might be perfect for the storyline and photoshoot there are many circumstances where trivial yet important considerations may be overlooked and thereby potentially ruin the shoot day. Hence, I did an in-depth location recce for the two shooting spots I had in mind before finalising one of them.
Arcade, Independence Square
[Image of Arcade exterior from Google Images.]
The Arcade, Independence Square is a high-end shopping complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka and it is located opposite to a beautiful garden valley.
When I first visited this place what really pulled me to it were the beautiful white colonial buildings surrounded by wide open paved courtyards. This was very relevant to the story setting I had in mind; night themed palace surrounding.
[Night view of Arcade building exterior, original images.]
[Original Image of the Arcade Exterior day view.]
On entering the main building I was captivated by the architecture. A good mix of traditional Sri Lankan heritage and modern amenities. The main attractions to me were the wide hallways with archaic doors and windows opening into spacious stores or courtyard. The wooden texture added more to the old-school, royal hallway look. At two places in the main block there is a flight of stairs just like you would see in periodic films leading to the second floor. The most charming aspects of Arcade are the abundance of antique furniture (mirrors, couches etc.), artsy ornaments and lampshades that represent Sri Lankan history.
[Original images of the Arcade interior]
This interior look was so beautiful and fortunately fit my magazine aesthetic which was dark academic, royal vibes. What made the place even better was that these very small details made the place seem like an elegant, ancient palace rather than a modern shopping complex.
That was the reason I decided to physically go to the place and do an in-depth location recce to see if the place would work in terms of other logistical and technical aspects as well.
Attached below is the location recce document I did for this spot. I used the template that was available on studiobinder.com for this recce.
Even the parking slots were abundantly available to the casts' vehicles.
[Parking slots, original image]
I was not sure if it was better to do my shoot in the morning or in the night time. I did a trial shot at night to see if the lighting was adequate.
[Original image.]
Although the building lightings were beautiful and were perfect for the night court vibe I was going for, the lighting was not adequate in the night time for portraits and fashion photos.
I also took another one in the morning time as well.
[Original image.]
Although the lighting was bright and beautiful here and brought the dresses out significantly it was a bit too bright for the night aesthetic I was trying to create. However, as morning time was better in terms of lighting and it would be easier for the cast as they were school students who needed adult supervision as well, I decided to do the shoot in the day time itself.
There were also a small section of restaurants that were open from 8AM - 11PM, where the cast and crew could buy any refreshments if needed.
[Cafeteria for refreshments, original image.]
The problem I had with this location is that it lacked power outlets where I could recharge the camera batteries in case they died down. Also I had to pay an additional amount of Rs.10,000 if I wanted to take pictures using a camera.
Dutch Hospital Vicinity
[Dutch Hospital, Source: Google Images]
Located in the heart of the city, the Dutch Hospital is an old building dating back to the Dutch colonial era. Nowadays the place is used as a shopping centre and dining precinct. These buildings reflect the colonial era architecture and showcase the Sri Lankan history through the long open verandahs, teak beams and wooden staircases. It also has two courtyards. I liked this location mainly because of the yellow lighting they had in the night time and even the architecture that added to the aesthetic I intended to create.
Hence I decided to physically go to the place and do my recce of the spot.
[Original images of the Dutch Hospital and its Vicinity]
I really loved the lighting of the place and decided to take a few portraits to see how it reflected on the subjects.
[Original Image.]
I was very happy with the results of the shot as it did not darken the subject's faces as I thought it might.
There were also restaurants in the entire building and in its vicinity as well, for the cast and crew to purchase any refreshments when needed.
[Restaurants in the building]
There was ample parking for cast and crews' personal vehicles to be parked as well.
[Parking slots, original image]
The place allowed us to shoot free of charge as well.
However I had a few issues with this spot as well. This place was crowded most of the nights hence it might be a problem trying to shoot without any interruptions. There were also a very limited areas and props in the place that we could use in our shoot. It also lacked suitable bathrooms, excluding the ones in the restaurants. There was also a lack of power outlets for charging purposes.
Although the architecture was fitting for my shoot and the night light was very beautiful I had already decided I was not doing the shoot in the night, thus it was not important to take the night lighting into considerations.
Due to the above shortcomings I decided to do the main shoot at Arcade itself. However I was not really happy about not making use of the beautiful street lamps in front of the Dutch hospital, and decided that if time permitted and if the cast was willing, I would come here after the shoot and take some photos using the lamps as well.
