Change in Location and Script

We came across a lot of problems when looking for a supermarket location to film the final scene of our film. Below is a copy of the message I sent to various different supermarkets.

To whom it may concern, 

I am a film student at Sheffield Hallam University. I am currently producing a short, five-minute Drama piece as part of my course. Our final scene is to be set at a supermarket and our director is adamant that Sainsbury's is the store we need, as he feels it epitomises the lifestyle of the characters in the film - in particular Helen, the main character's mother. The ideals of good living, health and family associated with Sainsbury's would really help to build this image for the family in our film and we would love to shoot at Sainsbury's The Moor in Sheffield.

We have contacted many individuals, including store manager Vince Newburn, and have finally been pointed in this direction. We thought we would take this opportunity to share some information about the project in the hopes that you will be on-board and allow us to use Sainsbury's The Moor as a location in our film.

The film is called 'The Secret Ingredient'. It focuses on Libby, a shy and quirky thirteen year old who has grown distant from her mother following the death of her grandma. She also has difficulty fitting in at her new school. Buying ingredients from Sainsbury's to make her grandmother's 'secret recipe' cookies, Libby takes a bite of the baked goods and falls into a dream-like state in which she visits her grandma. Her grandma comforts Libby and urges her to make things right with her mum. Some time later, Libby and her mother are shown shopping together in Sainsbury's, and it is clear that they are making steps to repair their strong mother-daughter relationship. We also learn that Libby has made friends at school. We then see Libby buying more ingredients so that she can 'visit' her grandmother once more.

We feel that Sainsbury's is the perfect setting for this positive change to take place in and would be greatly appreciative of the opportunity to use the store as a location. We hope to film on Sunday 13th April and are flexible with timing - we are more than willing to schedule the shoot to a time most convenient for you, should we receive this opportunity. As a token of our gratitude, we would not only portray Sainsbury's in a positive light throughout the film, but also include thanks to the store in the credits. There is also potential for the film to be entered into non-profit festivals, which would help to expose this image further.

We hope that this request is well received by your press office and we are excited by the possibility of potentially shooting at your store. 

Thank you for your time,

Lauren Griggs (Producer)

Sheffield Hallam University 

E-Mail: lauren.griggs@hotmail.co.uk

Mobile: 07720 542863

After sending this email to various supermarkets I recieved replies from them, however they all said similar things and they all said that it would not be possible. Below is a screenshot of one of the emails I received from one of the supermarkets.

After all of the supermarkets we contacted had said that we would not be able to film in them, we decided that it would be easier for us and the actors if we could just change the last scene in the script so that it took place in the house rather than in a supermarket. When re-writing it, Tyler, the director, tried to keep the dialogue mostly the same so that it would be easier for the actors to remember. Below is a copy of the new version of the final scene.