Produced by Bleeding Edge Productions
This FAN film is not affiliated with Nintendo and will NEVER be distributed at a monetary charge. Bleeding Edge will make no profit from this film. It will be FREE to watch online when done, and any screenings will occur FREE of charge to those attending.
A Legend of Zelda Fan Film
Feb 21 - NEW VIDEO + TRAILER! - view below
Location Scouting for Legendary Hyrule
Location Scouting for Legendary Hyrule
Location Scouting for Legendary Hyrule
September 30th, 2015
The search to find authentic looking Hyrulean architecture in the U.S. Midwest is rife with challenges and a few surprises, and the Legacy team is dedicated to finding locations that are at least close enough to the game's look as possible without being able to transport a big crew across the globe for the perfect scenery. It is in this search that we have found some beautiful places at which to potentially shoot and some very kind allies willing to let us use their properties at little to no charge. Here, we take you through our search for the Hyrule Kingdom.
OHIO RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL GROUNDS
Back in February of 2015, director Stephonika W. Kaye sent an email to the marketing director of the ORF with a very hopeful "They can only say no" attitude, asking if it were possible for Bleeding Edge to shoot some/all of a fantasy short film on their grounds. Fortune smiled upon Legacy when Cheryl Bucholtz replied with an invitation to meet up and explore the grounds for our filmmaking needs. She was even understanding when we pushed back our shooting dates for an entire year. The place would still be there for us the following spring/summer season, and with improvements!
Throughout the last year, we have kept in regular contact with the ORF and have returned a few times to take photos to witness its various seasonal faces. After a few visits, we have locked the Festival Grounds for the locations of both Hyrule Castle Town Market and Kakariko Village. These locations will be shot in separate corners of the grounds to give both a different yet similar feeling in style.
LOVELAND CASTLE
Who knew Ohio had so many castle structures? Loveland Castle is one of those surprise finds in the middle of the Midwest. We are looking into the possibility of booking this location for one week, as this has been the prime castle location in Ohio that we've been able to find. We aren't satisfied with the look of its courtyard, however, and our search continues for that location.
We've been told that this location books up quickly, and usually on evenings and during the day, which is perfect for us because we are seeking mostly evening/night shoots for our castle location.
BOLD FACE PLAYGROUND
This location was discovered right off the side of the road when Stephonika was driving to her new house on the west side of Cincinnati. She immediately hopped out of her car to snap a few pictures.
This location provides a fantastic base of a castle, one that we can even get on top of if necessary. With this location there are a few problems. It might looks great, but it is a public park and right next to a very busy road alongside the river. Sound would be a very present issue if we select this location. To that end, Bold Face may become a prime photo shoot location or a place to shoot quick castle inserts MOS as it is five minutes from the Bleeding Edge house.
REITER RESIDENCE
Nestled in the wild woodland area of Batavia, OH there rests a perfect quiet and green place. This location is private property of Grace Reiter, a friend of Stephonika's, who offered up the area as a location for Legacy. We have visited the area three separate times throughout the seasons of 2015, in May, June, and then early September, to gauge first if the location was a viable choice as far as look, and then to determine the greenest and fullest month for its appearance. The location would need to be as vibrant and wild as possible as it is the top choice for all of our film's Lost Woods / Sacred Grove scenes.
This location provides privacy, security, no rental cost, no outside noise, and a space for a base camp. What it lacks is cell service. It also miraculously provides a hollowed out tree by a grove space, a tree which serves as a central plot point. When first seeing the tree (and next to the grove) Stephonika was very pleased and feels as though this land was made to be used.
HOCKING HILLS
Hocking Hills is a gorgeous and otherwordly place. This park is being considered for the Lost Woods sequences, however, with it being a two hour drive from our central hub in Cincinnati, this location becomes less of a possibility with transportation and location reservation/rental fees. If we can raise enough funds, we hope to be able to make the trip.
HANNON CAMP AMERICA
During our promotional trip to the Ohio Renaissance Festival, we met Zelda fan Steve Hannon, who talked with us about an Ewok Village he and his friends at Hannon Camp had constructed and were continuing to add on. He invited us out to the camp to take a look at the village as a possible location for Kokiri Village.
The state that it is currently in is heavily graffitied and partially incomplete; however, it becomes more of a possibility if our budget can handle temporarily covering the graffiti, putting up more wood paneling, using canvas to make the separate sections look more like huts, as well as the hopes to complete a suspension bridge.
Location was scouted in November 2015. No greener pictures yet exist.
SILVER LAKE SAND DUNES
Up in Michigan there lies a desert, a desert we hope can stand in for Gerudo Desert for a few scenes. Due to transportation costs, we hope to achieve the opportunity to head there, but it will be very much determined on number of people required, number of days, and other equipment/production costs while on location. If we cannot take the crew there entirely, we may have to settle for shooting blank slates to be used in greenscreen shooting or cut the scenes altogether.
OTHER LOCATIONS
The following is a list of locations we are currently still seeking to locate at low to no cost:
Mountains / Death Mountain
Lake Hylia
Hyrule Field
Lon Lon Ranch
Zelda's Courtyard
Temple of Time
House Interior - Kakariko Village style
If you know of any locations in the Ohio (or close to) region, please send us an email with more information.