Going to a city and being able to capture its emotion and energy is something I personally enjoy doing, but sometimes a plan is just as important as a spontaneous trip to ensure things run smoothly. These are my top 4 places to film for a day out in Melbourne (and a few handy tips!)
Before jumping into filming there are a few important things you need to consider and bring along. Looking at weather conditions before you go will allow you to pick the right day for your trip, as well as let you think about the type of shots you may get. Don’t forget to charge your camera, clear off and bring some SD cards and make sure to bring a method of stabilisation. (This will make sure shots stay consistent throughout the day, consider a lightweight monopod!)
Right, you’re all set to go. You’re eager to get out there, I love it. So here are my top 4 must capture places in the city of Melbourne.
- Graffiti Laneways – Melbourne is home to some legal street art laneways which feature regular new artworks. It’s always a good idea to check some of these for something new. Adding some nice pans of this large part of the character of Melbourne will be sure to add to your shoot. Hosier Lane is right near Flinders station and features some great street art murals, followed up by Union lane nearby, a smaller one that sees more regular changes. This is a popular area for others to take photos, so it’s quite safe in these lanes, you’ll just have to make sure they aren’t in your shot!
- Architecture – Melbourne is home to some grand displays of architecture, most prominent in some of its older buildings. Once again within walking distance from the station, I would recommend Melbourne Central. It features an old shot tower right in its heart, with a massive sky dome that looks great from beneath. The shopping centre has been built in such a way, so you can walk around it on different levels, great for getting whichever angle you want!
- Any street in Melbourne – Ok, so this isn’t terribly descriptive, but let your imagination run away a little here! I found a fantastic way to capture the hustle and bustle of Melbourne was through a time lapse. This is a feature included on many phones, action cameras, and can be faked in post-production even if your camera does not have such a feature. I used the bridge in Melbourne Central, however a variety of locations will work for this effect. I think the higher up effect looks nicer to see the paths of cars and people, but feel free to experiment with this effect and make it your own! You could try this effect from quite a distance away, or something closer like I’ve done here. You will need stabilisation for this shot so there isn’t any shaky camera movement during the time-lapse. You can rest the camera on something if you don’t have anything though.
- St Kilda beach – This one requires a quick train journey a little outside of walking distance but is worth the trip. (Don’t forget to be filming as you go! There are always shots to be had on trains and trams!) There is Luna park, a pier to get some water shots, the beach itself and some surprisingly confident seagulls happy to pose for a few pictures. Some of the more visual elements of Luna park can be captured on the outside, so you don’t need to go in, and the pier and beach are also quite easy to capture, obviously be careful around the water as salt is especially bad for the sensors on cameras. The colours here at the beach can be fun to explore in post-production, and general shots of water and the beach can always be used in future projects as b-roll, so grab as much here as you can!
Just capturing these locations from a few different angles was enough to fill about a 3-minute edit for me, which I edited to fit a song. Fire up your editing software when you’re done and get on editing it together! You can go for a more vlog style or edit it in time with music like I did, either way, I hope these location tips help your filming day in Melbourne!