When planning the opening scene for our spy thriller, we knew one thing for sure: we wanted a public space with a crowd. Spy thrillers are all about tension, secrecy, and the feeling that someone is always watching and a busy location instantly creates that suspense. Our two main options for filming was Sawgrass Mall or Pembroke Gardens.
Sawgrass Mills
The mall had some clear advantages like it being fully indoors allows for controlled lighting and no worries about weather. The tight hallways, escalators, and multiple levels could create great high angle shots and over the shoulder moments to make it feel like someone is being followed. However, malls can feel visually repetitive, and filming permissions might be stricter due to stores and security. As well as the heavy crowd can make it difficult to film in a setting where the audience would need to hear the actors clearly without too much diegetic sound in the background.
Pembroke Gardens
On the other hand, Pembroke Gardens gave us a slightly more open feel while still keeping that crowded, public atmosphere. Even though it’s technically outdoors, it doesn’t feel completely exposed. The layout allows for smoother tracking shots and slow, steady movement shots that really build that secret agent vibe. Natural lighting also adds realism, which works well for a modern spy thriller. The downside is that weather and background noise can be harder to control so we would have to select a day that would add mood to our film like maybe a cloudy day or a sunny day to contrast the scenes that unfold and they also have alley ways in between stores that can add suspense to our spy thriller.
In the end, we chose Pembroke Gardens because it gave us the perfect balance: public, active, and cinematic without feeling too enclosed. The space allows us to create tension through movement, framing, and crowd interaction while still maintaining that dramatic spy atmosphere we’re aiming for.
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