Hello, student filmmaker here. Looking to shoot my MFA thesis. I’m based in NJ.
It’s a period piece; WWII. December 1944. It should look like it’s taking place in the Ardennes forest, where the Battle of the Bulge was. So a snowy forest.
Now I’ve got a bunch of complicated parameters in terms of finding the ideal location…
1.) It’s gotta have the snow. But I’m trying to graduate by December, so I need a place that can reliably provide snow by late November.
2.) The forest should preferably look like the Ardennes. There’s a specific look to the trees, they’re all pines, very tall, narrow but thick (if that makes sense - like not branch-thin, but not bulbous-huge). They’re spaced fairly but they still leave the area quite dark.
3.) Within something like a 3-4 hour range of NYC. I’m not far from NYC and I’m willing to travel further North for snow but most of my crew is further south, and they’ll travel - but for no pay, probably not too far. I realize this, combined with the element of snow in November, is probably damn near impossible. Probably the best bet for increasing chances of cold temperature is going up mountains - I’m still trying to figure out if any upstate NY mountains look anything like the Ardennes, and what the actual chances of November snow are.
Anyway, totally aware I’m probably going to have to be loose with some of these parameters, so they’re essentially ordered by priority. Snow is a must; I’ll settle for a decent-looking forest; I’ll bribe crew members to travel further. (still trying to limit to this general area though, Northeast US; definitely can’t afford plane tickets anywhere)
Also wondering if anyone has any resources for people who are knowledgeable about nature, forests, types of trees, etc. who may know a lot about what forests could potentially resemble the Ardennes? A nature photography forum? Preservation advocates maybe?
Thanks!
It’s a period piece; WWII. December 1944. It should look like it’s taking place in the Ardennes forest, where the Battle of the Bulge was. So a snowy forest.
Now I’ve got a bunch of complicated parameters in terms of finding the ideal location…
1.) It’s gotta have the snow. But I’m trying to graduate by December, so I need a place that can reliably provide snow by late November.
2.) The forest should preferably look like the Ardennes. There’s a specific look to the trees, they’re all pines, very tall, narrow but thick (if that makes sense - like not branch-thin, but not bulbous-huge). They’re spaced fairly but they still leave the area quite dark.
3.) Within something like a 3-4 hour range of NYC. I’m not far from NYC and I’m willing to travel further North for snow but most of my crew is further south, and they’ll travel - but for no pay, probably not too far. I realize this, combined with the element of snow in November, is probably damn near impossible. Probably the best bet for increasing chances of cold temperature is going up mountains - I’m still trying to figure out if any upstate NY mountains look anything like the Ardennes, and what the actual chances of November snow are.
Anyway, totally aware I’m probably going to have to be loose with some of these parameters, so they’re essentially ordered by priority. Snow is a must; I’ll settle for a decent-looking forest; I’ll bribe crew members to travel further. (still trying to limit to this general area though, Northeast US; definitely can’t afford plane tickets anywhere)
Also wondering if anyone has any resources for people who are knowledgeable about nature, forests, types of trees, etc. who may know a lot about what forests could potentially resemble the Ardennes? A nature photography forum? Preservation advocates maybe?
Thanks!