With the help of StarMap, you’ve probably already visited some of the most used filming locations around town. And if not, at least you have enough useful information to be your own star guide in LA.
But what about all of those green screens and fancy studios. A large segment of television shows and a lot of film production work gets done at the big time studios like Warner Brothers(L), Universal(L), Sony(L), and Walt Disney(L).
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The great part about being in LA is access. You have the opportunity to visit most of these great film studios and take in a guided tour. Other random events are always a possibility as well. Maybe you can be added to a member of the audience for a daytime show, or maybe you can get your big break as an extra on one of the network television shows.
So if you’re on the west side and want stop by the place where they film shows like The Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and Shark Tank, check out Sony Studios in Culver City (L).
If you’re a Disney fan, head out to Burbank, a beautiful suburb near the mountains. The Walt Disney Studios(L) are located here and they are massive. The whole complex takes up 51 acres and consists of several studios as well as other production facilities. There are no guided tours currently, but you can stop by and check out the famous water tower as well as just take in the pure massive scale of such a highly successful company. Films like Star Wars, Iron Man 3 and The Avengers all came to life behind those high walls.)
Universal Studios(L) are just around the corner and this juggernaut definitely offers guided tours as well as a whole entire adventure theme park. Movies ranging from Psycho to Hulk used the famous backlots and stages of this major studio. You can still visit some of the more notable film sets.
We can’t discuss the film industry and not mention the longest operating major studio in all of Hollywood – Paramount Pictures(L). During the last 100 years the studio has evolved and grown from 26 acres and 4 stages, to an amazing 65 acres and 30 stages. Success will do that to a business!
By visiting Paramount, you can submerge yourself in the past and get a sneak peak of the future at the same time. Guided tours are scheduled daily and there are a couple of different options to choose from. (2 hour studio tour, 4.5 hour VIP tour, and 2.5 hour after dark tour)
Paramount is responsible for some of the true classics like Indiana Jones, The Godfather, Crocodile Dundee and Beverly Hills Cop.
You can check out the numerous stages as well as their one of a kind New York street backlot. The stage features 10 distinct neighborhood backdrops and truly looks like the real city. While you’re on the lot, don’t forget the massive Blue Sky Tank that gets transformed to create any water setting a movie may require.
Since LA is pretty much the birthplace of the movie industry, there are numerous smaller studios that can be explored. The humble Hollywood Center Studios rarely gets a mention, but it was the place where I Love Lucy gained notoriety.
Do you know where the first Seinfeld episode was filmed before it moved to the huge CBS Studio Center(L)? The little known or talked about studio that used to be known as Ren-Mar hosted the filming of the first episode of this iconic tv series. This studio is only blocks away from the heavy hitter known as Paramount. In 2010 it was bought by Red Digital Cinema and renamed simply as Red Studios.
How about the Hollywood immortal, Charlie Chaplin(L)? He is widely known as one of the first Hollywood actors, but not many people are aware that he built his own movie studio right here in LA in 1917. Located on the corner of La Brea and Sunset, the studio looks like an old English village. Classics like The Gold Rush and The Great Dictator were shot here. Charlie’s footprints are still in the cement outside of Soundstage 3. However, no guided tours are offered, so if you get a chance to stop by the area, snap a photo of the plaque that officially dubs this studio as a Historic Monument (it’s near the guarded entrance) (Charlie Chaplin Studio Photo)
Everyone knows that iconic MGM graphic with the roaring lion. Well, you are free to stroll around the area in Beverly Hills where the MGM Studios(L) moved to in 2010 following their bankruptcy. They originally occupied the enormous studio lot in Culver City where Sony Studios is now located. And hey, James Bond and Hannibal were created here, so at least they have some past winners.
Lets finish off with everyone’s favorite, 20th Century Fox Studios(L)! This Hollywood conglomerate is responsible for such memorable films as M*A*S*H*, Die Hard and Home Alone.
