Location Query

T

TheFinalGirl

Hi everyone!

Just looking for a spot advice from somebody who may have experience with shooting in a graveyard. I will soon be directing a short film in which much of the action takes place in a graveyard. Before I approach the relevant councils/landowners I was hoping somebody might be able to tell me what the legal restrictions to this are likely to be.
The shoot would be from early morning (as early as they will let us in) to early afternoon on one day.
Also, its kind of essential to feature an actual gravestone, now I've considered two options here. Firstly, is it possible to use an existing (relatively contemporary) gravestone within the yard, and would that require that I get permission from the relatives etc of the plot? Failing that, am I likely to be permitted to put a fake fascia (with customised inscription) over or in front of an existing headstone assuming that I am able to create one on my budget?

Any advice would be really appreciated as I am relatively new to this and don't have any experience dealing with this kind of location.

Thanks.

F.Y.I This will be taking place in London
 
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Don't know about London or where your film will be shown, but here are some general thoughts, ideas (I've researched and shot in a cemetery):
- Yes, you'd have to find and talk to the owners/caretakers of the graveyard (films may have been shot there before) and ask. You'd have to agree/promise to leave everything as you found it, or do some extra cleanup in exchange for permission.
- I'd go ahead and get permission to show an actual gravestone with legible name(s). Even if they've passed on, their family may not have, and many are extremely sensitive to loved one's grave sites. The cemetery caretakers may know of a gravestone that's been used before with permission.

Alternatively, could you:
- Find an illegible gravestone— do you really need to read the name?
- Edit in a new name in post-production?
- Have your art dept. add an artificial gravestone to the cemetery, perhaps in an empty spot or corner?

Best of luck, I'd talk to the cemetery owners first and that may open the door of possibility and ideas.
 
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I've shot a couple of times in cemeteries, and can offer this food for thought:

I highly recommend you find an old one, where all of the space was used up long ago and no new burials have taken place in many decades. You will have a much easier time gaining access to it. Many of them pass into the "public domain" - as it were - and become historic areas. You can add a fake headstone here and there to make it look more modern.

Active cemeteries are businesses, and the owners are extremely careful about anything which might be regarded by their clients (meaning the surviving families) as disrespectful.
 
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TheFinalGirl said:
Hi everyone!

Just looking for a spot advice from somebody who may have experience with shooting in a graveyard...

Any advice would be really appreciated as I am relatively new to this and don't have any experience dealing with this kind of location.

Thanks.

F.Y.I This will be taking place in London
Click to expand...

The only Cemetery I know about shooting permissions in London is Highgate cemetery. Ironically, I am shooting near there on Sunday 3rd March in the afternoon.

If you are shooting in Highgate Cemetery behind Waterlow Park, the restrictions are you cannot shoot a music video, you cannot shoot a horror film, you have to notify them in advance, they will charge a small fee and you will need to negotiate with them. They will want anything you shoot there to be tasteful and respectful.

In addition, they will ask you not to shoot certain gravestones etc...

However, they are used to filming requests and if you google the website and email a filming request, they will respond.
 
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