Trip on VIP carts around Warner Bros studios today. We were driven around the front and backlots and had the chance to jump out and take pictures. Our first destination was the jungle set - previously seen in Jurassic Park and The Last Samurai plus a 'lagoon' nearby where Free Willy was filmed and George Clooney rescued somebody in a episode from ER. Film-makers in Hollywood are nothing if not resourceful - well I guess when you're churning them out ... We walked through one house that was used for East of Eden and another that was the Gellar's house in Friends. We saw streets where Seinfield and Gossip Girls are filmed (yes - all the same set) just decorated differently.
We also saw the alleyway where Spiderman and Mary-Jane kissed upside down in the rain and sat on the sets of Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. Also saw Harry Potter costumes in the museum but most movingly Heath Ledger's Joker costume and most amazingly Christian Bale's Batman costume soon to be seen in The Dark Knight Rises!
We managed to see Kristin Scott being bussed around the set and and got to sit on 'the' sofa in Central Perk. When we got back to the hotel Tom and Rob spotted Ziggy Marley in his Free n Wild Tour Bus - never to one's to miss a photo opportunity they went and had a chat with him. Then after an afternoon resting, swimming and sunbathing we headed back up to Universal City Walk for more burgers and chips even though we were in Bubba Gump Shrimp Co!!
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Monday 9 July 2012
Monday 9th July
Well - yesterday we were on the Universal Studio Tour bus and today we were filming on the Universal backlot with the New York Film Academy and people were taking pictures of us! Our class-room was a New York alley set opposite the set where The Amazing Spiderman was filmed. We all participated in filming a scene with a dollytrack - we took the roles of camera operator, focus-puller, assistant director and talent. We even got to take pictures in the square where 'Back to the Future' was filmed - it's tiny in real life!
We were then whisked away to In and Out for our zillionth burger and fries meal and then we arrived at the Sony Studios Tour. We had our pictures taken with Spiderman, Ecto1, the car from 'Ghostbusters' and saw the building where Peter Parker (the last one) graduated. We visited the Foley Studio and saw a working set for the sitcom 'Men at Work' and then sat in the sets for 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy!' Came back to the hotel and had burger and chips by the pool (though there was some salad and veg too - for a change). Looking forward to Warner Bros tour tomorrow.
We were then whisked away to In and Out for our zillionth burger and fries meal and then we arrived at the Sony Studios Tour. We had our pictures taken with Spiderman, Ecto1, the car from 'Ghostbusters' and saw the building where Peter Parker (the last one) graduated. We visited the Foley Studio and saw a working set for the sitcom 'Men at Work' and then sat in the sets for 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy!' Came back to the hotel and had burger and chips by the pool (though there was some salad and veg too - for a change). Looking forward to Warner Bros tour tomorrow.
Sunday 8 July 2012
Sunday 8th July
A great day at Universal Studios - we've been on the famous studios tour and visited the Bates Motel, Wisteria Lane and the crash scene from War of the Worlds. Best of all though was the amazing 3D sequence from King Kong directed by Peter Jackson - we weren't 'just' spectators it felt like we were really in the scene and under attack.
Then we hit the theme park and were amazed by the 3D sequences in the Terminator 2 show which included live-action sequences as well as the best 3D effects we've seen and they were created 18 years ago! We've been splashed, scared, thrilled and terrified on The Mummy, the Jurassic Park ride and the all new Transformers ride.
Finally we saw the amazing The Amazing Spiderman in IMAX a real treat which had us all spinning and twisting with Spiderman on his (all new) adventures around New York. Perhaps a little sentimental a times but fabulous performances from Brits Andrew Garfield and Rhys Ifans. A thrilling end to a thrilling day.
Then we hit the theme park and were amazed by the 3D sequences in the Terminator 2 show which included live-action sequences as well as the best 3D effects we've seen and they were created 18 years ago! We've been splashed, scared, thrilled and terrified on The Mummy, the Jurassic Park ride and the all new Transformers ride.
Finally we saw the amazing The Amazing Spiderman in IMAX a real treat which had us all spinning and twisting with Spiderman on his (all new) adventures around New York. Perhaps a little sentimental a times but fabulous performances from Brits Andrew Garfield and Rhys Ifans. A thrilling end to a thrilling day.
Saturday 7 July 2012
Saturday 7th July LA Tour
Flight fine if a little lengthy - it says something when you're thinking 'only' five hours to go. Accompanied on the flight by Mr Schu from 'Glee' to everybody's excitement.
Today we had an epic day sightseeing in Hollywood. We've breakfasted in Twain's Diner, been awestruck by the beauty of Union Station - where Blade Runner and Collateral were filmed, then climbed the Hollywood hills to the Griffith Observatory - where the infamous fight scene in Rebel without a Cause and the scene which saw the arrival of the Terminator were filmed.
We've walked on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and measured our hands in the handprints of Johnny Depp, Marilyn Monroe, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson among many others ... We toured the Dolby (ex Kojak) Theatre home to the Oscars and narrowly missed Christopher Nolan casting his hand and foot prints outside the Chinese Theatre - oops!!
We've driven past the house Marilyn Monroe used to live in, seen the Viper Room and a beautiful house over-looking LA which Stephen Speilberg used to live in.
Lunch was at the Farmer's Market - a vibrant place with loads of food to choose from and the biggest strawberries we've ever seen. We window-shopped in Rodeo Drive, checked out the real estate prices in Beverly Hills and then had a - very filling - dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and did nothing dispel stereotypes about reserved English people as the waitress desperately tried to bully us into having a good time!! We were all too tired to play along after all of our touring and she even asked if we spoke English!!
Avid fans Tom and Rob managed to track down current hip-hop outfit Tyler the Creator - pleased as punch with their photos and merchandise.
Stumbled into the AMC IMAX screening of The Dark Knight Rises where press were being signed-in and got reprimanded for trying to take a press pack - it looks like we missed Chris Nolan again -oops!!
All back at the hotel now tired and ready for a good nights sleep.
Today we had an epic day sightseeing in Hollywood. We've breakfasted in Twain's Diner, been awestruck by the beauty of Union Station - where Blade Runner and Collateral were filmed, then climbed the Hollywood hills to the Griffith Observatory - where the infamous fight scene in Rebel without a Cause and the scene which saw the arrival of the Terminator were filmed.
We've walked on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and measured our hands in the handprints of Johnny Depp, Marilyn Monroe, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson among many others ... We toured the Dolby (ex Kojak) Theatre home to the Oscars and narrowly missed Christopher Nolan casting his hand and foot prints outside the Chinese Theatre - oops!!
We've driven past the house Marilyn Monroe used to live in, seen the Viper Room and a beautiful house over-looking LA which Stephen Speilberg used to live in.
Lunch was at the Farmer's Market - a vibrant place with loads of food to choose from and the biggest strawberries we've ever seen. We window-shopped in Rodeo Drive, checked out the real estate prices in Beverly Hills and then had a - very filling - dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and did nothing dispel stereotypes about reserved English people as the waitress desperately tried to bully us into having a good time!! We were all too tired to play along after all of our touring and she even asked if we spoke English!!
Avid fans Tom and Rob managed to track down current hip-hop outfit Tyler the Creator - pleased as punch with their photos and merchandise.
Stumbled into the AMC IMAX screening of The Dark Knight Rises where press were being signed-in and got reprimanded for trying to take a press pack - it looks like we missed Chris Nolan again -oops!!
All back at the hotel now tired and ready for a good nights sleep.
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