I love the fact that when faced with the question, "what do you want to do this weekend?", the hubs and I no longer stare at each other and respond, "whatever you want to do?" There are so many things to do in the Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, it's more a question of what to do first! The hubs had been to Paramount Studios on business and noticed they do tours! I love theme parks, but unlike Universal Studios, this was a real, working studio. Our guide mentioned he regularly runs into stars! I was in!
After meeting up with our tour guide, Michael (who was fabulous, by the way), we were directed to the building where all the producers had their offices and got to see some real Oscars for Best Picture! We also got to hold one! (not the real one's of course) Those things are HEAVY!
I loved that the tours were small and intimate. All eight of us piled in a golf cart and were whisked around from spot to spot.
I loved seeing the theater were the producers do their editing and were studio premiers take place. And I would be remissed if I didn't show this photo of the incomparable British actress, Audrey Hepburn.
This is one of the benches used in the movie Forrest Gump. Apparently, Tom Hanks came across it one day and laughed because he had no idea one was there. (there's one in the Smithsonian, too) He came back the next day dressed as Forrest Gump and was handing out chocolates to tourists! He then proceeded to drive off with one group of tourists in a golf cart!
Filming on location in ocean's is tough, and we were told directors are allowed to use every square inch of the studio for taping. That means parking lots too! This one is flooded for water scenes. It takes a day to fill and a day to drain. This particular lot was used for the Ten Commandments, in particular the scene were Moses parts the Red Sea!
Filming on location in cities is also very costly. To close down a whole street and pay merchants for a day's wages lost, costs a lot! So instead, you can pay $15,000 per day and rent out the New York / Chicago back lot and do you filming there. We were told someone just had a Bar Mitzvah there for his kid! Remember the Friends episode where Chandler and Joey loose Ross' baby? It was filmed here!
I love this shot because it's from a favourite movie of mine, Bridesmaids. This is the famous Cake Baby! And our lovely tour guide, Michael.
The subway to nowhere.....
I loved every second of this tour. From the history, including Lucille Ball, who owned part of the studio at one point, the where the Godfather was filmed. We did get to visit a sound stage and I so wanted to get a photo of Scott Baio's chair, but alas, photos were not allowed. :-( I couldn't even sneak one.
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