Tag Archives: location

5 Film Sets That You Can Go Explore

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If you love films and travel, you might want to combine the two on a pilgrimage to the sets of your favourite movies. Here are our top 5 film sets that you can go and explore.

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  1. Jurassic Park – Kualoa Ranch, Oahu

Originally set to be filmed in Costa Rica, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 mega blockbuster Jurassic Park was relocated to the craggy, prehistoric landscape of Oahu, Hawaii. Standing in for the mythical Isla Nublar, Kualoa Ranch is arguably one of the stars of the film, as it sets the mood and tone for this ‘science gone too far’ escapade. Visitors to Kualoa today can take guided ATV tours of the vast acreage, also used as a filming location for Lost and Godzilla.

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  1. Harry Potter – Warner Brother Studios, Leavesden

A perennial favourite of kids of all ages, the 8 Harry Potter films were all shot in and around London and Oxford. A specialised team of designers, visual effects experts and artists built the elaborate sets—and you can visit them to this day! Take a wand waving class, get up close to prosthetics and costumes actually used during filming, and of course – visit the unbelievable shop at the end. If you want to catch a glimpse of filming locations around the city, head to the Millennium Footbridge, King’s Cross Station (home to the iconic Platform 9 ¾) and Leadenhall Market.

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  1. The Grand Budapest Hotel- Görlitzer Warenhaus Department Store, Görlitz, Germany 

Fans of Wes Anderson’s quirky alternate universe often cite The Grand Budapest Hotel as their favourite of his films. Nominated for 9 Oscars in 2014, this visually arresting movie was shot primarily in a department store, not a hotel. While the hotel’s façade was a model (a technique that Anderson often employs), the interior shots were all filmed in this handsome art nouveau department store, built in 1913 and located 60 miles from Dresden. Open daily, you can treat yourself to a bit of retail therapy while you walk through the halls of cinematic history.

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  1. Ghostbusters, Tribeca Firehouse, New York City

This 1984 classic is beloved by generations of fans who grew up watching the films, television series, cartoons and playing with Slimer action figures – and that is why so many fans flock to the Tribeca Firehouse at 14 North Moore Street in New York City. Now valued at over $16 million due to its newly trendy location, the newest reboot of the film due next year may not be able to afford to hire the space!

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  1. Friday the 13th, NoBeBoSco campground, Blairstown, New Jersey

If you love scary slasher flicks and you want to pay homage to Jason at the fictional Camp Crystal Lake, you will have to get the permission of an organisation so wholesome that it is the antithesis of Friday the 13th: The Boy Scouts of America! ‘Camp Crystal Lake’ is actually set on the NoBeBoSco campground in New Jersey, and during the off season they will occasionally grant permission to film buffs who want to wander through the original cabins.

These filming locations are iconic, interesting and affordable (or even free) to visit. Do you have any others you would like to see added to this list? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below!

 

 

Get Ready For London Wine Week

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Block out your diary! The team behind London Cocktail Week have now launched the inaugural London Wine Week, which will be taking place 2nd – 8th June 2014.

londonwineweekA unique seven day celebration of the capital’s flourishing wine scene, set against the backdrop of some of London’s finest bars and restaurants; London Wine Week is designed to decode the wine list and give you new confidence and knowledge when ordering.

Always seem to fall back on old favourites? Feel overwhelmed by the vast number of options? The festival will help you discover new grapes, varieties and vintages usually unavailable by the glass. Simply buy a wristband for just £10 to be part of the Wine Tours, and use the specially created pocket-sized guidebook which maps out all the venues taking part.

From dusty wine vaults to classic hotel bars, top-end restaurants to tiny hidden gems – flash your London Wine Week wristband throughout the week to qualify for premium wines by the glass and taster wine flights, each for just £5.

The festival will also be championing the wealth of incredible independent wine merchants who will be throwing open their doors during the week to offer masterclasses, meet the maker sessions and discounts on bottles for wristband wearers.

And as if this wasn’t enough, there will be a full schedule of ticketed, bespoke events – all a complete departure from the pre-imagined white tablecloth and spittoon tastings, and instead tapping into the pop-up phenomenon and emerging street food movement.

Join the conversation @LDNWineWeek and head to www.londonwineweek.com to register for updates. Wristbands go on sale in April.

The May Fair Hotel Appoints Artist in Residence For Art13 London

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Situated in the heart of the Mayfair village, the May Fair Hotel has been a by-word for artistry and elegance since the twenties. To celebrate it’s status as the official hotel partner for Art13 London; London’s most exciting new art fair (Olympia Grand Hall, 1-3 March 2013), the luxury hotel has appointed it’s very first Artist in Residence.

 

British fashion and celebrity portrait artist Marc McGreevy has been commissioned by the May Fair Hotel to capture the scenes, sights and sounds of one of London’s most iconic hotels. Guests of the hotel during Art13 London will have the opportunity to take home their very own unique portraits by Marc McGreevy and view the artwork on an exclusive online gallery.

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Images left to right: Marc McGreevy; Charlie France sketch by Marc McGreevy; Jourdan Dunn sketch by Marc McGreevy; The May Fair Hotel, London.

 

Marc McGreevy is an internationally acclaimed fashion artist and designer.  He began his career designing fashion layouts and creating unique jewellery collections for high fashion magazines such as Elle and Vogue.  Marc’s passion for fashion and illustration coupled with his natural creativity has secured him a position as one of Britain’s finest.  He now travels the world illustrating the most spectacular fashions with unrivalled flair, sophistication and poise.  Previous commissions include Jerry Hall, Actor David Morrissey, Actresses Joan Collins, Linda Gray, Kim Cattrall and Academic Germaine Greer.

 

Marc McGreevy will be in residence at the May Fair Hotel daily from 3pm-6pm, 1-3 March 2013.  Guests will have the opportunity to take their own exclusive art-work home with them. Illustrations will also be exhibited in an online gallery www.themayfairhotel.co.uk.

 

The May Fair Hotel, 
Stratton Street, 
London, 
W1J 8LT,

 

 

Top Tips on Independent Film Making from Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World

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5 top tips for shooting an independent film

 

Arnold Maude, Associate Producer on Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World, shares his light-hearted tips to ensure you keep your sanity and things run smoothly when shooting an independent production:

1.       Cleanliness is next to Godliness: Have enough clean clothes for the duration of the shoot. You may think you can recycle but depending on the conditions of the shoot this could be an unpopular choice with the rest of the crew!

 

2.       Location, location, location: When scouting for locations consider transport and parking. If you’re filming in the capital Film London can help but if you’re going off the beaten track you may find yourself stuck feeding meters.

 

3.       Hello? Is anyone home? You don’t want to turn up on the first day of filming and find yourself unable to access your location – especially not with crew waiting and your actors due to appear. Make sure you not only have the phone number of the key-holder but also his flatmate’s number and that of a handy neighbour. Just in case. Is this paranoia or experience?

 

4.       You’ve got mail: As you begin preproduction you will receive an ever-increasing deluge of emails which will pile up like a tanker load of poured concrete. Start organising your email folders now when it’s quiet because when things get going it’ll be like feeding a troop of monkeys all screaming for your attention.

 

5.       Friends with benefits: Don’t cast your friends, at least not in a main role (unless you’re friends with Hugh Grant or similar in which case my advice to them is not to act in your film). This is about credibility, casting your mate is a good way to lose any you may have. Casting actors who may not necessarily be famous but of whom the industry is aware makes you a more credible proposition.

 

Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World is screening at select cinemas across the country from Monday 18th Feb – Thursday 21st Feb, the independent production by Fruitcake Films is unlike most artistic representations of mental illness.  www.olliekepler.com

 

And because we are feeling generous….5 (more) top tips for shooting an independent film

 

There are a range of legal barriers and production problems you might encounter when working on an independent film project. Arnold Maude, Associate Producer on Ollie Kepler’s Expanding Purple World, shares his top five tips to avoid the most costly errors:

 

1.       Digital Production: Learn as much as you can about the technical side of production. As digital production becomes ever more dominant if you don’t know the lay of the land you are going to get lost in the binary jungle. Get a guide if you can. You don’t need to remember the specifics but an understanding of the issues and processes involved will be invaluable.

 

2.       Credibility: Credibility is one of the most useful things to have when putting together a film. If you can afford it, one of the easiest ways of establishing credibility is to join the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT). PACT membership signals you are guaranteeing a level of professionalism as you must meet certain minimum production standard. Membership will establish your production as a serious one.

 

3.       Soundtrack: If you have heard a song on the radio you can’t afford it – even if the band says you can use the song, they won’t own the rights. You need two sets of rights – the Synch rights and the Master Use license. This is where unsigned bands shine. They can be very generous and are often just happy that you want to use their music. Pay them something; even if it’s only a token.

 

4.       Cameras: I’ve seen people agonise over what camera they should use before they had even written the script! There’s not much point in trying to figure this out in advance of preproduction as you will eventually discuss it with your Director of Photography. Technology moves on at such a pace it’s pretty nigh impossible to predict what the situation will be in a years time. By the time you get into preproduction an entire new generation of digital equipment could be available.

 

5.       Script Clearance: If you want to sell your film in the US you will need to have the script cleared by a specialist agency and then have a lawyer look over the report. The US is an incredibly litigious nation and if, for example, you accidentally use the name of an existing business then you open yourself up to a possible lawsuit. For protection against legal action you’ll need script clearance in order to obtain Errors and Omissions insurance.

“Les Miserables” sends French town bookings soaring

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The French town which provides the backdrop for the tragic and powerful musical, “Les Miserables” has seen a huge 366% increase year on year in hotel bookings since the release of the film this week. Hotel booking specialist LateRooms.com reports the rise for its hotels in and around Montreuil Sur Mer, the setting for much of the early part of Victor Hugo’s novel. The small French town in northern France is where protagonist, Jean Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman, serves as mayor of the city and is also hometown to the tragic heroine, Fantine, played by Anne Hathaway in the cinematic adaptation.

“It is fantastic to see our hotels in and around Montreuil Sur Mer receiving such a staggering increase in bookings from the success of “Les Miserables.” commented Lynda Matthews, Offline Marketing Director for LateRooms.com. “The film is one of the best loved musicals of all time, and we are pleased people are taking the opportunity to go and see where the famous story started!”