Looking for a great location to film someone playing guitar - London or Kent

soma1975

Hi all,

Next month I'm going to be filming a profile piece on someone involved in the UK guitar industry and once the stuff of him at work is done, I want to shoot a sexy cinematic looking setup of an instrument being played with audio being captured. Just a bloke and an amp and a couple of pedals.

Not sure whether I should just do it in a studio or if there's a really cool location you chaps can think of that might work well. Or if you know of a gorgeous looking studio I'd love to check that out too. 

Needs to be inside. Needs to be controllable. Needs to be large enough a space that I can have some depth in the shots. 

Any thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated. 

Thanks. 

fandango

The British Library 

Tate Modern

Commonwealth Institute building (now housing The Design Museum)

Ronnie Scott’s  especially if said guitarist will play some punk rock

Euston Station (or Waterloo, King’s Cross, or Paddington Stations, but not Victoria)

Greenwich Foot Tunnel - who needs a reverb tank when you got the Greenwich Tunnel?

A coffee shop

the Armani store in Bond Street (just kidding)

Or how about this... prob my most genuine suggestion: the Blain Southern Gallery at 4 Hanover Square W1S 1BP (corner of Hanover Street/Hanover Square). They might appreciate someone popping in - it’s not exactly busy for them there. https://www.blainsouthern.com/contact

soma1975

Thanks man. As it is a short little profile piece I’m doing off my own back the (lack of) budget would preclude Ronnie Scott’s or similar, but that gallery looks a nice space and they might possibly be more amenable.  Filming in the Greenwich tunnel is a nightmare (done it a few times) and the environment wouldn’t be controllable at all sadly. Cheers. 

Limehouse_Blues

Wilton’s Music Hall in Shadwell

soma1975

Wow that's stunning. Thanks for the suggestion. 

fandango

soma1975 said:

Thanks man. As it is a short little profile piece I’m doing off my own back the (lack of) budget would preclude Ronnie Scott’s or similar, but that gallery looks a nice space and they might possibly be more amenable.  Filming in the Greenwich tunnel is a nightmare (done it a few times) and the environment wouldn’t be controllable at all sadly. Cheers. 

You probably gathered some of my ideas were tongue in cheek, but what it should do is help get everybody’s thought processes working.

There may be other galleries a little further away from the centre of London, that might be just as suitable.

Then how about the foyer of a local office block at the weekend? If it’s got a 24 hr concierge, even better.

Or a new building that’s not quite finished (contractor still on site) but with all the services up and running?

McDonald’s after it closes for the day? Or a bowling alley before it opens for the day?

Sorry for not giving specific examples, but you get the idea.

soma1975

McDonalds is not quite the vibe I'm after

Looking for something cool and moody and that won't break the bank. Imagine it's most likely we will end up doing it in a studio space if I can find something cool and large enough. 

vale

because kent & east sussex were 'battle of britain central' there are a some seriously cool fortified installations along the coast & a little inland.
maybe an air hangar with a spitfire in? or dover fort with big maps on the wall?

places probably far more accessible that ldn venues & would probs be v modest-reasonable re fees. also lovely days out. i've been to a few.

other options maybe piers & lidos. saltdean lido near brighton or brighton pier, etc. margate will have similar if you are fixed on kent.

soma1975

All good ideas thanks. Need an interior and for it to sound decent enough, so not a big hangar. Not fixed on Kent but I live on the Kent/London border so it's easy to get to.

I like your idea though, even if thematically it might be a bit incongruous to go from a guy making stuff for a guitar in his workshop to a hangar with a Spitfire or a wartime bunker to go play the thing!

KKJale

Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley

vale

maybe a victorian theatre with some age to it. worthing has a nice one. lots around coast.

or glynderbourne? festival is on atm.

there will be half & whole days between productions when the stage is half set or half struck that would be interesting. crazy props & backdrops.

pro opera singers don't do two shows on the trot to preserve voices, so lots of down time between shows when crew will be fiddling in the flies (hehe) or occupied with (2nd) rehearsal stage.

soma1975

KKJale said:

Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley

Grew up round the corner from there. No idea why I didn’t think of it. Nice one. 

soma1975

Cool idea @vale. Plus they would already have some lighting. Thanks.  

skunkwerx

On top of the Qe2. 

Could coincide it with my protest! 

soma1975

The boat or the person?

KKJale

soma1975 said:

KKJale said:

Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley

Grew up round the corner from there. No idea why I didn’t think of it. Nice one. 

Another (much cheaper) local option would be the Ivy House in Nunhead. It's a got a very cute original music hall stage with a gold lamé curtain. Community-owned and run pub, so they might do you a cheap early morning deal... 

soma1975

Ooh looks fab. thanks again. 

TTBZ

I've recently shot some pieces that are exactly this in trendy hipsterish bars/cafes in Shoreditch. Bit of a pain to lug all your light/camera/audio gear to but they all let us do it free of charge so long as we were in and out before they open for business. 

soma1975

Oh cool a fellow shooter!

Would love to see the sort of stuff you shoot/shot. My sis is in the process of opening a trendy bar in town so that is a maybe. 

HAL9000

HMS Belfast
Highgate Cemetery (although I suspect there are rules saying you can't)
Little Venice

soma1975

Thanks but to reiterate, needs to be an interior, needs to be controllable, and needs to be inexpensive.