REMEMBER - Location Scouting

Welcome back to the REMEMBER newsletter, where we fill you in on all the steps we’re taking to make our movie the best it can be. This week, we’re talking about locations. 

Our team has already done most of our location-scouting. So far, we’ve looked for a spooky basement, a community college, a suburban house, and even an ice cream parlor. We still need to take a few more steps to lock everything down, but we’re almost there.

When it comes to this process (which is genuinely fun), there are a few things to keep in mind. Let’s start with the nitty-gritty stuff. Some filming sites seem perfect at first, but they also have to be filmable. This means that there has to be an accessible toilet nearby and that the location is easy for the cast and crew to reach.

Sound is also extremely important. A filming location shouldn’t have loud noises that interrupt the filming. Busy roads, loud animals, proximity to busy public spaces… All are barriers that we want to avoid.

Once all those things are taken into account, we start to look for the kinds of locations that artistically fit into the film. Textures, colors, and all the other visible elements should fit the vibe of the movie. REMEMBER is scary and psychological, so we’ve focused on locations that match this tone.

Most importantly, though, our team is focused on positive relationships with the site owners. We’re making something spooky, so we have to make sure we’re upfront about that. Some people aren’t interested in loaning out their property to such heavy subject matter.

And of course, once we settle on a site, we have to work with the owners and make sure that we can do our jobs without damaging anything or causing any bad blood.

Our company, Corpening Media, has made a lot of short films in the past, and we’re proud of the relationships we’ve maintained with the site owners. For example, we filmed our three-part short Compassion at an awesome AirBnB that fit our needs perfectly.

When we went back to the same AirBnB a year later, the owners had changed, but we had such a positive relationship with the previous owner that the new owner had already heard about us and instantly invited us back.

Filmmaking is a huge team effort, and it’s so much easier if everyone, including the location owners, feel respected. Out of all the aspects of the location-scouting process, this is definitely the most important.

Jeff Corpening is the director, producer, and cowriter of REMEMBER. He has decades of experience in broadcast and corporate video production as well as filmmaking instruction. Under Corpening Media, he’s produced six films.

Let’s get to know him a little better…

What drew you to this project?

I love any story that works on multiple levels; REMEMBER is not only a horror story; it's a family drama wrapped in some complex psychological traumas that I believe people will recognize. Even if you haven't been through the specific circumstances our protagonist has, you can relate, on a real human level, to their effects on her as an individual. It is, at its core, a story about the struggle to survive horrific childhood trauma.

Describe your role as a director.

First and foremost, it is my responsibility to coordinate the creative team to realize the vision we have laid out for the film. Once the goals are set, I see myself as the person who must, for the benefit of all involved, steer the group's focus to bring it all to fruition.

What films do you put on the top of your list as favorites?

If we stay anchored in the horror genre, I would have to say I am a bigger fan of the classics from the 1960s and '70s. Maybe it's because of the impact they had on me in my youth, but I will always put films such as The Exorcist, The Omen (I and II), and Psycho at the top of my list. These were genre-defining.

Tell us about a past project that you’re proud of.

I won't single one out, but I am always proudest of the elements in any project that are strongly influenced by my own personal experience. Even if only in theme or characters' emotions, discovering ways to insert bits of autobiography into any story is where I find myself at my most creative.