Location Report

 

The Destroyer

 

Contact

Commander Trumble
Telephone 202-433-6111
Address 901 M. Street SE
Washington DC 20374
Cost Free
Entry By current photo ID only (preferably driver's license or other official ID)
Access In theory, seven days a week but a very strong preference for a weekday, as the senior officers would prefer to be available during the shooting. Would be happy to facilitate two days shooting, and divert members of the public on tours of the ship past the filming to allow us to work all day
Times 7-30 am to 5-00 pm but willing to arrange to stay later if we should like to shoot into the evening. Suggests we film as early in our schedule as we can as by mid- to late April, the ship sees 1000-2000 visitors a day. That volume would interfere with our filming
Parking Visits: Take your chance with the parking garage; 10 minute walk from Eastern market metro
Filming days: Parking for one van or car carrying equipment at the quay next to the destroyer; remaining private cars to the parking garage. If we could arrange to arrive in no more than two vans, then both could be parked on the quay by prior arrangement
Attitude Very positive. Only caveat that we say/film nothing derogatory to the Navy, which the Commander thought unlikely when I described the project in detail. Professional behavior expected, and a senior officer would accompany the crew at all times to facilitate relations with crew, divert members of the public, troubleshoot technical details like electricity supply, etc.
Spaces  
Interior usual battleship gray; metal, heavy doors, nuts and bolts, cables etc. running across ceilings in profusion. Quite confined spaces which will limit camera angles but quite an atmospheric location. Most spaces have, or are near to, electrical outlets but a few long extension cords (and duct tape to fix them to the floor and walls) would be needed.
Stairs and companionways narrow, steep, metal: good clanging sound FX, etc. ? good for shots looking down or up One exterior corridor: Much wider and longer than other corridors; painted a pale color so would take color from lighting well; might be a place to shoot atmospheric., scene-setting material with main characters and extras, etc. i.e. after arrival at Nebula, and so on
Radio Room Small, but full of buttons and dials, and gauges and military looking hardware. Interlinked spaces would give opportunity for wider and longer camera angles
Warfighting center The largest room to which we could have access. Lined with machines and dials, etc. (none of them light up or work), plus free-standing equipment on the floor; spotlit map table. Has original red lights still operational. Range of backgrounds and camera angles possible
Wardroom, galley and mess areas The largest areas open on the ship; look fairly contemporary; mess tables bolted to floor, etc; officers' mess has seventies-style sofas, chairs, etc.
Bridge Fairly large, semi-circular room, with panoramic range of small windows. Not much equipment there, but lots of space
Gun and sleeping area An area with several tiered bunks, and bunks in small recesses below decks. Possible location for esp. cu Body Museum scenes. Bunks screened off with Perspex screens which the commander is willing to remove (as in several other areas) to allow us to film. Screened off by Perspex, the bunks are rather eerie. Some weapon controls and paraphernalia in one corner.