Every year around this time, I look forward to the new batch of Holiday movies gracing the big screens. This year, leading the list is the heartwarming Love The Coopers, a Christmas movie filmed in one of my favorite cities ... Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Directed by Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam), Love The Coopers features an A-list ensemble that includes Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Marisa Tomei, Olivia Wilde, Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried, Jake Lacy, and many more.
Clayton Acres is a Pan Abode Cedar House located in Surrey, British Columbia. The beautiful log home is surrounded by spacious green lawn, mature trees, and a long driveway.
Trout Creek Wilderness Lodge, a family-owned property of over 250 forested acres, streams and waterfalls, is situated in the foothills of Oregon's Willamette Valley (one-hour drive from Portland). It's easy to imagine one of the Twilightmovies filmed in this beautiful, lush, wooded setting.
Casa Paloma is a light-filled, newly renovated 1960's mid-century modern house in Newburgh, the second largest historic district in New York State. Located on three acres of woodlands (filled with oak and pine trees), the 4100-sf home has expansive decks with a pool and the much-coveted panoramic views of the Hudson River.
One of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, libraries in Maryland is John Hopkins’ George Peabody Library. Located in the world-renowned Peabody Institute of Music, the Peabody is part of the Sheridan Libraries Special Collections at Hopkins University. The library’s beautiful settings have made it one of the city’s most popular venue for weddings, events, and … of course film locations.
Remember that special date that Marty McFly and Emmett "Doc" Brown set their DeLorean time machine to travel to in Back To The Future 2? Well, it's today exactly ... Wednesday, October 21, 2015. Here's the Toyota commercial Fueled By The Future filmed in New Jersey starring none other than Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd themselves. The short spotlights the Toyota Mirai while celebrating "Back To The Future Day" at the same time. Brilliant idea by the folks at Toyota!
Envisioned by the original architect and professor as an architectural "laboratory" for his students, this modern, contemporary residence presides over a private, rural, 10-acre country estate north of downtown Omaha, Nebraska (15 minutes from the Omaha airport).
Not only is the Laboratory House Estate a beloved local icon in Omaha, it is also an award-winning architectural gem. With a large gallery and many unique interior spaces, Laboratory House Estate offers visually stunning settings for film productions.
At the top of my list of must-see movies premiering this Fall is Everest, directed by Baltasar Kormakur (2 Guns, The Deep, Contraband) and filmed on location in Nepal, on the Dolomites Mountains of Italy, and at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom. With a powerhouse cast that includes A-list actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, and Sam Worthington, Everest retells the awe-inspiring journey of eight climbers and their ill-fated Everest expedition in May 1996 during the fiercest snowstorm in recent history. Filming the movie on location in Nepal on the foothills of Mount Everest was one of the most difficult projects the filmmakers have ever done.
Last week, the New Mexico Film Office announced The Magnificent Seven, a modern day remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, will soon be filming throughout the state. To be directed by Antoine Fuqua (South Paw, The Equalizer), the movie will star Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, and Peter Sarsgaard. It's also the first reunion for Fuqua, Washington and Hawke who teamed together 10 years ago in Training Day.
Earlier this month, I was in Martinsville, Virginia for our PR3D scan of the New College Institute's Building on Baldwin. Having heard amazing things about the building, I was still blown away when I saw it in person. Building on Baldwin, I thought, would make such a fabulous film location. Note to self: must feature it in our next blog. This well-kept gem of a location will no longer be a well-kept secret much longer.
From the outside, the three-level red-brick building looks like a typical handsome college campus building. There are well-planned seating areas in the front plaza for student gatherings, large enough to easily accommodate 1,000 people.
There are also three collaborative amphitheater spaces on the plaza, fully wired for electricity, an added feature all productions love and appreciate. The spacious parking lot is more than big enough to house production trailers, equipment trucks and any other vehicles the cast and crew may need.
Seven miles from the east entrance of Joshua Tree National Park is the whimsical, one-of-a-kind Tile House. A fabulously eclectic location adored by filmmakers and photographers worldwide, The Tile House is - inside and out - a stunning mosaic made of Mexican and desert tiles, smelt, handmade Perry Hoffman ceramics, stained glass and ceramic bric-brac. As is, Tile House is already a film-ready set and yet it looks as if your production designer has spent months designing every inch of the space.
This past May, Governor Steve Beshear signed a bill that enables Kentucky to be more competitive as a filming destination. This in turn helps attract the film industry to Kentucky, promoting job growth and tourism for the state.
“House Bill 340 gives Kentucky a strong advantage when competing with other states for outside film projects,” said Governor Beshear. “Increased film production in Kentucky means a boost to local economies and an opportunity to highlight the Bluegrass state on both big and small screens across the world.”
Movies such as Days of Heaven, Field of Dreams, Signs, Witness, Places in the Heart, The Magnificent Seven, and Grapes of Wrath ... what do they have in common? You guessed it. They are set on a gorgeous farm or countryside location. The pastoral sceneries from these films are breathtakingly beautiful and memorable, and all prove one thing. Filmmakers are always in search of cinematic countryside settings to use as film locations for their productions.
Looking for a cool hotel or inn to stay in for your next vacation? If you're a movie buff like me, you'll love staying where your favorite movies were filmed. Years ago, I had a chance to visit a beautiful, historic hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan, where Somewhere In Time was filmed. It was a magical and surreal experience to stand in the same spot where Richard Collier and Elise McKenna first met.
The Utah Film Commission recently announced in a press release that they have awarded film incentives to six more productions to shoot in the state this summer. Leading that list is the new ABC television series Blood & Oil, the first network TV series to film in Utah since 2006. With an approved tax credit of over $8 million, Blood & Oil plans to hire approximately 3,000 local cast and crew and expects to bring in at least $33 million for Utah. The remaining productions to film in the state include two reality shows (Diesel Dave, Utah ProStart Teen Chef Masters) and three feature films (Mythica, Monolith, Stepsisters) adding another $3 million of in-state spending.
Last week, the Oklahoma Film Office announced the newest addition to their production board. The feature film Heartland is currently filming in Oklahoma by first-time director Maura Anderson (producer of Winter's Bone, Would You Rather). Ms. Anderson will also serve as producer for the movie along with Oklahoma native Velinda Godfrey (Heartland screenwriter).
Released just before the Christmas Holidays last year on December 3, Wild is a biographical drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallee based on the 2012 bestselling memoir of Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. The film has received rave reviews from both critics and audiences, including a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film main stars Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern both earned Academy Award nominations for their heartfelt performances. The movie’s location manager Nancy Haecker (The Judge, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and 2, 8 Mile, The Mexican, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Lucky You, Into The Wild) also won the Managers Guild of America Award for best locations in a contemporary film earlier this year in March.
Idaho, the 14th largest and the 39th most populous state in the U.S., is also home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes. Being a mountainous state larger than all of New England, Idaho is famous for its craggy mountains, lava flows, whitewater, farms and quaint towns, and dusty back roads, some of the best backgrounds for any film production.
In addition to the stunning, unique locations, Idaho's moderate climate and long summer days (with daylight lasting until 10pm) offer huge benefits to productions. Filming in Idaho can be more economical than in other areas since most of the cities in the state don't require film permits, saving filmmakers time and money. The state also has a deep base of local crews with a broad range of production skills.
Last week on April 21, 2015, the New Mexico Film Office announced in a press release that the highly-anticipated Independence Day sequel will start principal photography in New Mexico on May 4. Leading the large cast are Liam Hemsworth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman. The sequel will be directed by Roland Emmerich who also directed the original movie.
Need some ideas where to visit on your next getaway with your loved ones? After you watch Netflix’s latest series Bloodline (the entire Season One with 13 episodes has been on Netflix since March 20, 2015), you may want to book your vacation in the Florida Keys.
