Great filmmakers take advantage of every storytelling tool at their disposal.
Each choice you make should be seen as an opportunity
to tell a more complete fully realize story.
To communicate emotion
and to build and enhance your world.
And that includes making the most
out of where your story takes place.
Let's think about treating your location as a character.
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The location for a film or TV show can be
so much more than a matter of practicality or convenience.
It can be given the same importance as the writing
or the casting to realize a complete vision.
It may be hard to picture "Mad Max Fury Road"
without Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron,
but it's impossible to imagine it
without the striking, seemingly endless deserts of Namibia.
And what would that first season of "True Detective" have been without Louisiana?
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I'll show you how to make the most of your locations
so you don't let any world building opportunities slip by.
But before we jump in,
make sure you click the bell below to subscribe,
so you don't miss out.
"Good morning West Texas, slammin Sammy Meade coming at you
with Panther football radio..."
Let's revisit one of the greatest television shows of all time
"Friday Night Lights."
"Friday Night Lights" is the best show about football
that's really not a show about football.
It chronicles the lives of small-town highschool football players in Texas.
And one of the crucial characters in the TV show
without question is Texas.
There really is no show without Texas,
the visuals permeate every episode
and this really sets the tone.
Visceral images of landscapes, neighborhoods,
watering holes, homes and people in Texas.
This isn't just b-roll.
This is the show.
It's world, it's atmosphere.
They continually use their locations to highlight plot points
and character traits.
Here are a few examples.
"- Ohh, look we can get pizza after your shift.
- Okay fine. I have to deliver pizza right now.
- Hey, Matt. - Hey."
To emphasize the class divide between season one blue color hero Matt Saracen
and his season for replacement of quarterback
spoiled brat JD McCoy.
They make sure you see Matt leaving his humble house.
A location that was well established back in the pilot.
We get a full view of the approach,
we can take in the immensity of his house.
The location says it all, what JD has,
what Saracen does not.
Another example.
"We think that you would be an unbelievable addition
to our staff here."
When coach Taylor pursues his ultimate dream
of coaching football at the big time college level,
the creator's use locations
to show us the emotional cost of that decision.
Check out the scale and impersonal nature of T.M.U.
Coaches shot primarily in solitary wides,
surrounded by cold concrete.
He small in the frame, isolated, alone.
Lastly the show makes its biggest shift in its later seasons
when coach Taylor takes a job leading the East Dillon Lions.
The East Dillon football program has its issues.
"- That you've been playing football?
- You know, all the time.
- Yeah? - Nah.
- How's that? - Madden.
- This video game called "Madden." - Oh..."
Look at all the ways they visually differentiate the West Dillon Panthers
versus the underprivileged East Dillon Lions
through the prism of location.
The Panthers have lush green grass.
The Lions have dirt and holes.
The Panthers have colorful uniforms
professional equipment and a state-of-the-art scoreboard.
The Lions have old tires, toppled lockers,
and a busted-up dilapidated scoreboard.
"Friday Night Lights" is a master class
in setting tone with locations.
So how can you achieve the same effect in your own projects?
We're going to use StudioBinder to show you how.
And we're going to use "Friday Night Lights" as a case study.
You know from the script that you've got to establish
how different East Dillon is from West.
Communicate that visually
through a script breakdown.
Tag any standout elements
that inform your world.
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In your scene notes put together a mood board,
upload relevant photos and embed videos of visually similar locations.
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The goal is to have a clear vision for the mood.
Think about how they build the character of your location.
Next when your location scouting,
make sure to bring snacks.
And also bring your phone
and make sure you take loads of photos and videos,
shoot with total freedom, get as much raw material as you can,
experiment with angles, lighting and mood.
Lastly and I can't emphasize this enough take your b-roll seriously.
Seriously.
Don't even think of it as b-roll.
Make a storyboard of your shots,
plan out your visuals, add establishing shots,
inserts, location-specific atmospheric shots.
Start building the world.
"- Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.
- Can't lose!"
Hope you found this video helpful.
What are some other ways Friday Night Lights uses Texas to tell it's story?
There are so many.
Tell us about it in the comments.
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for a smorgasbord of visual inspiration.
I'll see you in the next one.
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