One-Location Films
Hollywood, in all its charm and infinite imagination, never ceases to produce and amaze. The industry grows and changes with every passing day and every year we see something new crawl into movie artistry. May that be technological, like this year with Scorsese’s The Irishman, or intellectual, like the recent trend of meta humor, its more than evident that Hollywood is definitely open to experimentation.
And yet, because of this, old mediums get lost. Forgotten. Unappreciated. And some of those mediums surely deserve some more recognition.
Like one-location films. To some extent.
A trend that became popular in the early 00s and then quickly almost disappeared. A famous and commercially available example of a one-location film would be Phone Booth with Colin Farrell. Also, a genre that truly loves exploring within this medium is low-budget sci-fi; example of this would be Coherence, Cube, Exam, and many more.
And yes, there is beauty and magic in one-location films. But, as anything in life, and especially in the movie industry, there are setbacks; and problems. So let’s explore those.
The good.
With the limitation of one location, huge opportunities arise. Because when there is only one location, the writer and director of the film don’t have to worry about anything besides telling an amazing fleshed out story with brilliant characters.
Firstly, and probably more importantly, for any beginner writer/director, or any experienced one, for that matter, it’s much easier to shoot a one-location story. Less location scouting, less money, smaller crew (probably), less lighting, etc. Technically much easier and more accessible.
Secondly, the story becomes easier to tell. And if the story is easier to tell, it becomes easier to create. If we follow the lives and development of four characters that change location, a lot is necessary to tell a coherent story. Self-aware pacing, beautiful handle of storytelling, masterful directing, other external characters, external story, etc. But put those four people in a room for ninety minutes and make them talk to each other – and it immediately becomes easier.
And with that last point we can very easily transition to — the bad.
Because exactly that, putting four people in a room together for ninety minutes and making them talk, can get very boring very fast. It becomes quite ironical, actually. It’s easier to maintain a one-location film because one doesn’t have to worry about as much, but it’s also more difficult because the main thing one has to worry about, the story, becomes more complex to create.
So each creator should, supposedly, push themselves to find out if they have it in them. And if, even, it’s easier for them. Because the magic of one-location films is far from gone. Does it require skill? Absolutely, it does; but if that’s there, then a one-location movie can become something truly extraordinary. The story requires skill, but it also opens up new opportunities.
A one-location film has the potential for more depth and development than a regular narrative. All that’s left is for someone to unlock that potential.
______________________________________________________________________________
Coherence is an amazing film. If you’ve seen it and didn’t quite get it (like all of us), here’s a great video on the matter.
Enjoyed this article? Share it! We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or hey, just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.
— Pouty Boy