Research Focus: Setting

Our sequence requires a large, picturesque wooded area- somewhere that would attract photographers, yet is also dense with trees and foliage- to help convey the idea that our victim is trapped or isolated in the forest. We ideally need somewhere with no obvious connections to civilisation, to help establish that the supernatural villain is able to have control over the natural setting- and so it seems that the victim has no where to run to. If there were a playground, or a main road in shot, it would seem unrealistic for our victim to continue exploring the forest rather than just run to civilisation for help. For this reason, we also need to ensure that the area we film in isn't heavily populated, and that we can film without many people disturbing us.

So far, we are considering four options: Avery Hill in Eltham, Elmstead Wood in Chislehurst, the River Shuttle Woods and St George's Park in Sidcup.

It is typical for a Supernatural horror to be set in an 'everyday' setting, familiar and recognisable by the audience. This means that when the setting is dominated and polluted by a supernatural presence, it becomes an obvious perversion of normality- enforcing the idea that the events of the film could happen to anyone. This also conveys the idea that the villain has strong supernatural powers, as they are able to manipulate an environment they do not belong to. This helps to further characterise the victim as helpless, and instil fear in the audience. However, it is also quite important that there is some element of isolation to the setting, or that the characters are trapped within it and unable to leave. Therefore, we are using a forest setting- as it will be familiar to the audience yet also establish the feeling of isolation, as the area will be void of civilisation.