DAY FIVE (23 September 2015):
Our planned agenda for today was one of those things that if
you’re going to be in the vicinity to take the time to do it. I’d asked my parents since we were close to Hollywood if they wanted
to do the Walk of Fame. Since it’s
require a lot of walking, they declined (as they’d seen the pictures from when
I did it). But Mum said because she was
this close to Hollywood
she wanted to do a studio tour. There
were a couple different studio we’d picked up brochures for, but there was
specific she wanted. Mum wanted to see
Bugs Bunny.
While Warner Brothers (WB) is more than Bugs Bunny, as they
were the parent company to DC Comics, it was the agreeable choice as far as I
was concerned. Because we’d made the
arrangements the previous day, we had the tickets sent to us electronically
(which I recommend as being the best way to do it). In the morning, it was an easy drive up the
interstate to past Griffith Park to Burbank
to reach the area. From the angle we
came in from, we couldn’t see the Observatory or the Hollywood Sign.
This section was very residential, with houses sitting on
the street across from the studio.
Figure as the studio expanded, it closed the distance between its land
and the private residences. As a point
of information, both the studios for Disney and Universal were located
nearby. Upon our arrival, the first we
saw was the famous water tower which bares the WB trademark (and at one point
was where three monkeys were locked within).
The tour began with a short film about the various
productions the studio had done over the years, both in movies and television,
and then we boarded a tram to drive us around the back lot. We were asked where we were from, and what
some of our favorite shows or movies were.
I mentioned Troy
The tram took us around some wooded areas where there were
various buildings used for exterior shots for productions, like the tavern from
True Blood (pictured above). Of course, any interior shots would be done
on a sound stage. We had to be quiet
through this section, as the “street portion” of this area was currently being
used to film a sequence for Dirty Little
Lies. We then moved to city portion
of the back lot, which had been used in a number of different productions by
simply redressing the exteriors.
We were able to enter into a building which was set aside
for rotating exhibits, basically dedicated to what was popular at the
moment. The ground floor had a tribute
to 75 years of Batman (and all the movies back to the first Michael Keaton
one), and the upper level was for Harry Potter.
I went for the ground floor first, as Mum headed upstairs.
In addition to displays showing the costumes and props of
each of the movies, there was a wall of all the different Batman masks, and a
preview for the upcoming Superman V.
Batman movie.
Upstairs in the Harry Potter section were various props used
in the movies, like a replica of a Deathly Hollow, and Quidditch gear. I liked the Sorting Hat which was setting
there, as someone would hold it over you, and a movie sound effect would
randomly play.
My favorite house was Ravenclaw, which was the only one not
mentioned in the movies. I pointed that
out to the tour guide, who acknowledged my astuteness of that. He also laughed when I asked about the monkeys
in the water tower. (For those who
didn’t get the reference the first time, that goes back to the 1990’s Animaniacs cartoon.)
From there we were brought into a room which contained all
the Batmobiles from the various WB movies.
Again, I liked the original Michael Keaton one the best. Keep in mind as the tour was on a tight
schedule this section (like the previous area) we were allowed 10-15 minutes in
the area to look around, so you couldn’t linger. You had to absorb what you could as quick as
you could.
The next portion of the tour had us walk through the props
department. Any item which could
conceivably be used in a shoot was stored here, and there were group by
category. Imagine a shelf full of
various office phones, or a room full of stuffed animals. If it could be used, they had it. I asked the guide if the stuff was purchased
new, gotten from GoodWill, or donated, and the response was “all of the above.”
Additional items stored here were all the statutes from The Maltese Falcon, the desk used in The West Wing, and the piano from Rick’s
Café Americian used in Casablanca. Given the time, it would be fun to spend the
whole day here just guessing what was used where, as there were no
informational signs to show that.
From there were moved into a section which had posters and
other behind-the-scenes information about what was needed to make a
production. I liked the pile of rejected
scripts, because it reminded me of all the early drafts my writer’s group went
through, as each one was a written story which will never be published.
After stopping for a photo shoot at the Central Perk coffee
shop from Friends…
…we stopped at what was called the “forced perspective
table.” The table is designed a special
way so when viewed from a certain angle, it creates the illusion of different
sizes. The actors would sit on either
side of the table (not directly across from each other) and look at the
monitors in front of them. That way they
could interact in proper sequence. So
this shot of Dad and I sitting at the table makes him appear to be hobbit-sized
purely from the way the camera’s perception is tricked.
The last portion of this building (before the gift shop and
Central Perk-themed café) was a series of green screens to allow you act out a
short sequence. Dad put on the spacesuit
from Gravity, while Mum and I did the Harry Potter broom ride (as that allowed
for a bit more range of involvement).
The patron stationed there would give direction (“lean left,” etc) as it
was filmed. Our images would then be
matted on to a pre-selected piece of footage, so it appeared that we were really
in the scene flying along the English countryside (or in space).
The tour was very thorough, and we were completed by lunch
time. Keeping in mind the time
constraints, it was a sizable amount of money for what we got out of this. Having the tour last another hour or two, and
having more time to soak in the exhibits would’ve been nice. We were still glad we took the opportunity to
do this.
One thing that Dad observed was the amount of people that
worked behind the scenes. Every set
needed to be constructed, so blue-collar labors (like painters, electricians,
and foreman) were busy moving about, as well as drivers and other gopher-type
assistants. Certainly for those who live
in the area, this was a major employer.
More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:
Warner Bros Studio Tour: https://www.wbstudiotour.com/
DC Comics:
http://www.dccomics.com/
Burbank (CA):
http://www.burbankca.gov/
Walt Disney Studios: https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/north-america/southern-california-vacations/
Universal Studios Hollywood :
http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/
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