When it comes to Los Angeles Filming Locations, you may be surprised to learn that many times, scenes are
not even shot in studios or private locations. There have been
numerous instances of scenes being filmed right on the streets of
L.A., or in restaurants, hotels, schools, beaches and other locales
around the area that fit the needs of the movie.
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Real vs. Fake
For instance, the Creative Artists
Agency building has been used for several movies, such as the 2011
film “The Green Hornet”. This is located in Century City, and it
has a nickname of “The Death Star” since it is one of the more
powerful agencies in Hollywood. It is here that Britt Reid's father's
newspaper, The Daily Sentinel, has its setting.
While the crew shot the exterior of the
CAA building, many of the interior scenes needed to be done in a more
authentic spot. The L.A. Times was ideal for the printing press room
and some other newspaper atmosphere scenes.
A Creepy Biopic with Familiar Locations
“Hitchcock” is a dramatic film with
a variety of locations throughout Los Angeles. The beginning of the
movie is a scene with Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 thriller “North by
Northwest”. This was not actually filmed at the United Artists
theater in Chicago, but at the Orpheum Theater on South Broadway.
They did change the sign to accommodate the name, but it is clearly
still a Los Angeles location. The interior of this theater
re-appeared later on, for the opening night scene of “Psycho”.
Another place that was used in filming
“Hitchcock” may be familiar to many people. The famous writer's
home was set at a house that is on North Alpine Drive, which is also
where the Kennish family in “Switched at Birth” lives. Nothing is
quite as it seems here, because the Volkswagen carrying Mrs.
Hitchcock to her house actually drove down a street that was a couple
of miles from the house.
There was no cheating when it came to
one location. Yes, the studio in the film is the same one that
distributed “Psycho” - Paramount Studios. However, in real life
the movie actually was made at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Interestingly, the same restaurant was
in two different scenes. This is Musso & Frank Grill on Hollywood
Boulevard. It is the oldest restaurant in all of Hollywood.
A Simple Recipe for a Suspense Thriller
It doesn't take a great deal of action
in diverse, wild locations to make a good movie. In fact, some of are
filmed in only one or two major locations. The logical reasoning
behind this is that it keeps the budget low, but that may not be the
only – or even the main – reason for doing so.
For example, the 2013 thriller “The
Purge” includes just one key location. This is a single family home
on Iverson Road in Chatsworth. It is inside of a safe, gated
community.
The fact that this film is about a
family under siege in their house made it possible to keep costs
down, and it also only took 20 days to shoot it. The spacious,
beautiful home was the perfect setting for such a terrifying
psychological thriller.
