One of the main locations in the script, is the football pitch in which they play their matches on. I have been studying a pitch near where I live and I put the idea across to Aimee who has then followed it up. There are many reasons why I have envisioned this particular pitch for our project, one of the main ones being the condition of it:
In my opinion we need to have a pitch that hasn't got the perfect surface like at professional grounds.. When people say "Sunday League" to me, I instantly think of muddy pitches on a cold winters day. Having experienced sunday league football myself for a number of years, I know what to look out for. We want to emphasise the point that this is "rubbish" football, and there is no better way than having a pitch with a few holes and sandy parts. The beauty of this pitch in Rainham is that it has these holes/pits, however it also has a nice surface too, meaning we have both options there if we need them. Having different options at a location is great for a director who wants to be creative, which is why this would suit me and my role on the project. My choices/ideas are endless.
This location also contains pitch markings, meaning the audience will be able to tell that this is a proper pitch used by sunday league teams in real life. This also helps to reinforce the genre of realism we want this show to contain. Not only are we placing characters in real life situations, however we also want the props/locations to be as real as possible too. The pitch is home to one of the Rainham teams who play in a Medway league, so some audience members will be able to relate to it. I believe having the lines/markings would be much better than having a normal park with just plain grass as it looks a lot more professional.
Another key aspect I thought about was the location of the pitch.. The reason I put this idea forward is because this one is located in a fantastic place! Not only is it located right next to Rainham train station, but it also has a car park beside it. This means our cast and crew can travel and access the pitch easily, whether it's by car or train. Having the car park beside the pitch also means the kit can be on site and won't need to be carried everywhere. Having my house being a five minute walk away will also come in handy for food, shelter and bags too.
Overall this is a fantastic find, and with it being public, permission is at a minimum. I can really imagine the script being held at this location, with myself directing shots in my head already.
