I’m one of those people who stay in the theater long after the final scene of a movie is over, just to read all the credits. I’m fascinated by the number of people needed to put a production together. It truly takes a village to make a movie.
Other than the obvious mentions of directors, producers and actors in the credits, there are also hundreds if not thousands of other key individuals who work tirelessly behind the scene of every single production. They’re all carefully mentioned in the credits, but unfortunately they’re often overlooked by us viewers.
Last week, I had a chance to visit Vermont on my annual fall trip to New England. As luck would have it, the weather was beautiful and the foliage was still at its peak. But the most memorable part of the trip this year had nothing to do with the New England’s fall colors. Instead, it was my adventures while tracking down the filming locations of one of my favorite movies that topped even the New England foliage for me.
The movie in question was Baby Boom, a film about a successful, career woman named J.C., charmingly played by Diane Keaton. J.C. turned her life upside down after she inherited a baby from a distant relative and moved to Vermont. Baby Boom came out in 1987 and earned favorable reviews from critics and audiences everywhere. Mine included.
I have a strange love for Alaska. Strange because I’ve never been to the state, and yet it sits firmly on my list of top favorite places of all time to visit.
When I heard that Drew Barrymore’s latest project is being filmed in Alaska this month, I knew I had to do a little write-up and share the good news.
The movie is Everybody Loves Whales (later on changed to Big Miracle) produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Ken Kwapis (He’s Just Not That Into You).
Not too long ago, I did an article on Director Danny Boyle’s latest movie 127 Hours, filmed on location in the beautiful red rock country of Moab, Utah. Fast forward four months later to an evening in September 12, 2010, 127 Hours, a film based on the true story of outdoorsman Aron Ralston, had its first public screening at the Toronto Film Festival.
The reaction to the film was visceral and intense, with its audience “peeking at the screen through parted fingers.” There were “gasps and a standing ovation” for both the director and the film’s main actor James Franco. And yes, there were also Oscar talks. And a few people fainted.
Just a brief entry to let our Twilight fans know that Breaking Dawn, the movie based on the fourth and final novel in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, will be filmed on location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Louisiana’s attractive film tax credits have been drawing Breaking Dawn, along with many other productions to the state for filming. This has provided the much needed boost to Louisiana’s economy and tourist industry.
Currently in its fourth season, the television action dramaBurn Notice made its debut on June 28, 2007 on USA Network and has been cruising on its strong ratings since. If you’re a Burn Notice fan, you probably appreciate the authentic feel of its setting. It is the only Miami set TV show that is actually filmed on location in and around Miami. The show also has a permanent set built in the former Coconut Grove Convention Center in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood.
Remember Slumdog Millionaire? I saw it at least three times. Twice in the theater, and probably more than once on television when the movie finally came out on cable. Fair to say that Academy Award winner Director Danny Boyle had made one very poignant, unforgettable film. It went on to win eight Oscars in 2008.
This month, Mr. Boyle is back in the spot light wrapping up 127 Hours, his latest film with Fox Searchlight Pictures, starring James Franco. The movie is based on the true heroic story of mountaineer Aron Ralston who in 2003 was hiking in Blue John Canyon, near Moab, UT, when he was trapped by an 800-pound boulder.
As promised, we’re now on to Part 2 of The Spectacular Filming Locations of Water For Elephants. Having gotten all the filming locations down for you in Part 1 of our article, today we’re sharing first-hand accounts from two of the movie’s supporting actors (extras). We’ll also introduce you to Tai (Rosie), the “biggest” star of Water For Elephantswhom everyone falls in love with at first sight.
This summer, a super-popular Twilight star and one of Hollywood’s Oscar-nominated directors are coming to Pittsburgh to film their next production. We love the Twilight series. Safe to say that “we” includes all of the ladies at Reel-Scout. We read the books, we stood in line for the movies, and now we are excited for Pittsburgh because “Jacob” will be there to film his next movie “Abduction.” By “Jacob” we mean the handsome, dimply 18-year-old Taylor Lautner, “one of the most popular actors on the planet” after his portrayal of Jacob Black in the Twilight series.
A while back, we wrote a post on the Top 18 Landscape Film Locations in the American West. It quickly became one of the most viewed entries in our blog. In response to that, we are following-up with a spotlight on the American South. With its deeply-rooted history and culture, along with all the different mesmerizing landscapes, the American South touches many of us on a soulful level.
We love showcasing film offices’ success stories in our blog, especially when it’s about one or in this case - two - of our clients. It seems Pittsburgh’s competitive film tax credit program has elevated the city on to Hollywood’s sharp radar. The Steel City’s movie industry has been steadily growing in spite of the recession experienced everywhere else in the country.
As you’ve probably noticed by now, we are in the middle of Hollywood’s 2010 award season - Golden Globe, Directors Guild of America (DGA),Screen Actors Guild, People’s Choice, etc., have been gracing the stages and television screens, and making headlines continually for weeks now. But the most coveted trophy to bring home - the Oscar - is still up for grabs on March 7, 2010 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
This morning, Oscar finally made their announcement on who the 2010 nominees are. We are excited to share that four of the ten “Best Motion Picture of the Year” nominees were filmed in seven of our clients’ states.
“Best things come in small packages.” We’ve all heard that phrase many times. But in the case of the latest movie production currently filmed in West Michigan, we cannot come up with a better description.
Yesterday, February 10, 2010, was the first filming day in West Michigan of Tom Seidman’s small-budget film The Bunny Lady. “The movie is set in West Michigan, and written for West Michigan,” said Seidman. It’s a story of a “crotchety old farm woman” with a big heart running a rabbit rescue center, and starring in the title role is our beloved “Mrs. Brady” herself, Florence Henderson.
Seidman, a West Michigan native, wrote and directed this charming family Christmas movie. He has also worked in many well-known films and television productions over the years including The Dead Poet’s Society, Reds, Rich and Famous, Honky Tonk Man, Ordinary People, and Golden Girls. The Bunny Lady is his directorial debut.
Movie Maker Magazine recently publishes their list of Where to Live and Shoot in 2010. As usual, iconic cities such as Los Angeles (No. 2) and New York (No. 4) sit prominently on the list. However, the No. 1 position might be a surprise—especially to those outside the industry. Have we peaked your interest yet?
Here’s the 10 Best Cities to Live, Work and Make Movies in 2010, according to Movie Maker Magazine:
It’s hard to think of movies made in Hollywood without seeing images of the American West. Golden deserts and awe-inspiring canyons, majestic mountain tops, wide serene lakes, and vineyard hills are just a few of the unforgettable vistas often memorialized in many of our favorite movies.
Have you ever watched a movie and fallen in love with its settings and locations so much you wish you could be there on your next vacation? We have! We find ourselves constantly wondering how we can get to that beautiful seaside town in The Proposal, or whether the eccentric inn-on-stilts in Nights in Rodanthe really exists. And so we set out to do a bit of online sleuthing, in search of the perfect reads that would give us some insights into the world of movie locations.
Being in the film business, we love movies. Rarely does a Friday roll around without us getting excited about a new film’s opening. This weekend, our hearts are set on catching the just-released holiday movie Everybody’s Fine, a remake of Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore’s Stanno Tutti Bene. The movie follows a widower (Academy Award winner Robert De Niro) on his impromptu road trip to visit his grown children during the holidays. In addition to De Niro, the cast is an ensemble of many of our favorite actors including Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, and Sam Rockwell. Although it is a holiday movie, we have been duly warned that Everybody’s Fine is “a prickly, bittersweet weeper about a father’s attempts at reconnection and reconciliation with his … far-flung children.
Reel-Scout just heard from the grapevine that the much-anticipated movie Thor by Marvel Studios will be filmed in three of our clients’ backyards: California, Los Angeles and New Mexico. Production Weekly also confirmed the locations in its tweet last Friday. Congratulations to FilmLA, California Film Commission, and New Mexico Film Office! As we mentioned last week, you are definitely among the Top 5 Filming Locations in North America.
Last month, Variety wrote an article listing the top places in the world that location managers, directors and other industry insiders voted as best locations for filmmaking. Reel-Scout is excited to share that our film office clients represent two of the Top 5 markets for filmmaking: California (No. 1) and New Mexico (No. 3).
Reel-Scout has always been proud and happy to call Charlotte our home. We’ve built our companies here. We’ve raised our families here. We love most every nook and cranny of this city and there are too many other places we’d rather be. But putting aside all the personal reasons why we love Charlotte, did you know that the Charlotte region is also the setting of blockbuster movies such as Shallow Hal, Nell, Days of Thunder, Talladega Nights: the Balad of Ricky Bobby, and The Color Purple?
