Scottish research trip PT 1
More and more I find research trips to be a valuable part of the script development process, getting out and sensing the world that the protagonists may have felt brings things to life for me.
One of the scripts I’m currently writing is set in the Elizabethan era and I really wanted to get out and away from any built up environments as a way to try to imagine what that might have been like. In all honesty I really couldn’t do better than go to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park via the David Marshall Lodge as a detour after a documentary I’d booked to shoot in Glasgow.
Along with the constant and literally atmospheric drizzle the scenery was just what I needed to let my mind wander and the physicality of travelling up a (small) mountain on foot, alone in an unfamiliar environment, recognisable by any character in my story was brilliant. I’ve now got a fresh set of story specific memories, textures, colours, feelings, smells and locations to tap into as well as some great new ideas for horror stories and thrillers based on what hides in the woods.
However, I should probably invest in a better lightweight camera.