Saki Location Scouting

We're still exploring the potential for an film idea that we had last year. It involves the work of the British writer Saki. If we were to move forward with the project, at some point we'd need to find specific locations to fit the period. So we had a little scouting recently.

One scene in particular calls for the hero to suddenly and unexpectedly stumble upon the antagonist--who is "illegally" lounging and sunning himself on a slap of rock at the far side of a pond. Locating a small body of water suitable for the shot has been a challenge since the scene calls for the antagonist to almost effortlessly bolt across the pond and stand face-to-face with the hero.

We visited a state nature preserve that features a deep gorge formed during the retreat of the last glacial period. There are potentially three separate locations within this gorge that could work for at least parts of the scene. None are perfect, but we'll certainly keep these in mind.

Location #1 actually features a shallow pond with a slab up against a rock wall on the far side. Yet, the slab is more of a shelf, narrow and slanted. Not an ideal spot for sunning one's self.

Location #2 is really a slow moving river rather than a pond, but we could cheat the shot if necessary to make it work. The "slab", however, where the antagonist rests is a small sandy beach, not a rock.

Location #3 is the same river just further downstream. There would be no disguising this as a pond, but the rock slab is the most believable sunning spot of the three. However, the algae growth on the river bottom makes any rapid crossing a hazardous affair (see video below).

So in reality, not a one of these turned out to be what we're looking for, but we enjoyed the scouting nonetheless.