London Secondary Research

There are a variety of good locations in London that I can use to film a promotional video about London. The first of the locations of which I have in mind is Leicester Square.

Leicester Square

History of Leicester Square:

Leicester Square is an area located in the West End of London. The Square itself was in 1670 and its name derives from the Leicester House. The Square has always been a residential area but it became more market-like in the 18th century following the destruction of Leicester House. As the 19th century came closer, the Square transformed into more of an entertainment area. Multiple theatres were opened which were later turned into the cinemas of which we know today including; Vue, Odeon and Empire.

Leicester Square is one of the better locations that I can include in my promotional video. Leicester Square is the heart of London's cinema land and is home to an Odeon Cinema with over 1679 seats. Leicester Square is a prime location for movie premieres and co-hosts the London Film Festival every year. The cinema isn't Leicester Square's only attraction though. The square itself is home to many different stores ranging from fashion to fine dining. With many areas to film from, the Square offers a great variety of shots that would really help to capture the heart of London and its citizens.

Besides the main square itself, there are other parts of Leicester Square that could be great to film. The main roads of Leicester Square and Covent Garden give an insight into the different stores but would also provide good shots of the bustling streets of London.

One of the biggest attractions of Leicester Square is Chinatown. Although slightly hard to find, Chinatown is a living and breathing representation for London's multi-diverse community. Chinatown at first was a run down area in Soho. It wasn't until the 70's when a large group of Chinese immigrants came into London and set up a variety of stores and restaurants. Ever since then Chinatown has continued to flourish and is now a symbol of London's diversity.

Southbank

South-Bank is the entertainment district of Central London and is opposite the Thames River. South-Bank itself is 800 metres south east of Charing Cross, which is also a busy area in London. Although South-Bank doesn't show off London's diversity as much as Leicester Square, it could provide some interesting visuals depending on the time of day. South-Bank offers visuals that attract tourists, this can be seen from the London Eye which has been a massive tourist attractions for years.

Here is the link for the official South-Bank visitor's page where people can see what it has to offer.

South-Bank offers a long walk past many of London's biggest attractions. Visitors can go to the IMAX in South-Bank, which has the largest screen in the UK. Iconic buildings such as the Imperial War Museum are part of South-Bank, offering visitors the chance to listen to the stories of different lives during the Second World War. The South-Bank centre is also a frequent host of many art exhibitions and shows that might spark the interests of different people.

Back in 1917 the restoration of South-Bank began but it wasn't until 1951 during the Festival of Britain when it was truly defined. During the festival South-Bank truly became a centre for arts and entertainment of which has led it to become one of the most popular tourist areas in London.

I want to make a promotional video that informs people about a specific area of London. By doing so, I can include small amounts of information rather than massive chunks. Another effective way in which I can film is by recording two different parts of London and mashing different information together so that one half covers a specific area whilst the other half covers the other area. I think that Leicester Square is one of the better areas to film as it includes typical London sights which are easy to film. These could include, a red telephone box, a red bus, the London Underground and a black taxi. Although the majority of these classical sights can be seen all over London, Leicester Square offers visuals that can't be seen everyday. On weekends, the Square is bustling full of activity. This would be perfect for informing an audience of London's popularity through visuals. I think for Leicester Square I will film specific landmarks and areas to properly portray my message. One of the best areas to gather footage to present London's popularity would be the square itself.

This area of Leicester would be prime for gathering footage. Thanks to its open space I would be able to record different parts of Leicester and almost mash them up. To the right of the photo up the path, street performers regularly carry out different acts that can range from magic tricks to dances. I think that this would help to build a community-like atmosphere in Leicester but also act as proof of London's diversity.

My intended target audience is 16-18 year olds. In order to create a promotional video that is targeted appropriately towards my audience I will need to find out what they would want to see in a London Promo video. In order to make my promotional video. In this promotional video I want to inform the audience of a specific area of London. I can include facts about the area such as when it was constructed and why it was named a certain thing. I think that if I were to make a film about the whole of London it might seem generic and will require too much statistical information such as the population of London. The one area coverage also boasts a few pros. By focusing on one area I can film with the local community in mind. This means that I would be able to gather shots that portrays the local area. Leicester Square would be a good area to cover as it is fairly small and easy to navigate. Leicester Square is also close to Chinatown so I would be able to gather footage in a short amount of time.

Covent Garden

Covent Garden is also a good area to film. As it is close to Leicester Square it will be easy for me to gather footage in a short amount of time. Convent Garden is a great mixture of community and shows off a vast selection of stores that aren't available everywhere. Inside of Covent Garden makes for some good shots as it's normally bustling with activity. The structure of the building would also look good from different shots, especially close-ups for focusing on the architecture.

Covent Garden has been around for hundreds of years. In 1654 the area was a small food and vegetable market. However, it slowly began to transform and by the 18th century it was a well known red light district. To gain control over the area, an Act of Parliament was put in place and the market began to flourish for better reasons. The market grew bigger and by 1974 it was relocated 5 kilometres south west of Nine Elms. However, it wasn't until 1980 that Covent Garden turned into a well known tourist attraction due to its cafes, shops etc.

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