For our movie, we had a clear vision of using a forest location with a snowy setting to enhance the eerie, suspenseful atmosphere we wanted to create. To achieve this, we needed to carefully plan a trip at the right time to match our expectations.
OUR LOCATION CHOICES:
Our initial choice was the Hoia-Baciu Forest, a location famous for its paranormal legends and unsettling, mysterious vibe. Since it is in the heart of Transylvania – it is often referred to as the “scariest forest in the world,” it seemed like the perfect backdrop for our film. The forest’s eerie atmosphere and lob-sided trees would have complemented our vision beautifully, but there were a few challenges. Not only is it a popular touristic stop, which could disrupt the mood we were trying to capture, but it also hadn’t seen any snow this winter, and snow plays a crucial role in our mise-en-scène. Given the importance of snow in setting the tone of our film, we’ve decided to look for a different location that better aligns with both our atmospheric needs and the practical requirements of the shoot. Given the importance of snow in setting the tone of our film, we’ve decided to look for a different location that better aligns with both our atmospheric needs and the practical requirements of the shoot.
Dealu Botii is a village close to Belis Lake, roughly two hours from Cluj-Napoca. This is the same place where we filmed the preliminary exercise, as we frequently spend weekends there having fun. Carla, my teammate, grew up in this area, so she already had a few locations in mind for specific scenes. The area also experiences consistent and heavy snowfall every winter. The only downside is that we have to complete the filming within the few days we’re there, with no option to return for additional shots if we miss anything.
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