Page 54 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

CA.MOVIES
Francisco Bay Area, most are located in and
around Los Angeles. Those that offer
behind-the-scenes studio tours include
Warner Bros. (peek into the costume and
prop room for the Harry Potter movies), Uni-
versal, Sony Pictures (formerly the historic
MGM studios famous for Gone with the Wind
and The Wizard of Oz) and Paramount stu-
dios (the one remaining studio that is still
located in Hollywood). Many movies that
are shot on location outside LA also often
have scenes shot on a studio soundstage.
Check for tickets before going on a
studio tour as many require advance tick-
eting or reservations. Ask your guide if you
can take a peek into a current movie shoot
and you may spot a celebrity walking by.
Game shows, talk shows and TV
comedy shows often need a live audience.
Free studio audience tickets are handled
through distributors such as Audiences
Unlimited and Audience Associates.
Becoming a film extra isn’t as easy as it
might seem. There are a number of serv-
ices that do casting calls for extras such as
Central Casting in Los Angeles or Casting
Networks in San Francisco. Often you are
required to sign up and provide a head-
shot. If you do get cast as an extra, it
requires patience as you can stand around
all day with nothing to do.
52 2014 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
MOVIE THEATER exterior tower,
above; Kodak Theatre is home of
the world famous Academy
Awards, left.
Watch a Movie
While in LA, consider doing what Angelenos
love to do: watch movies. During the
summer, enjoy a classic film under starlight
with the dead and the living at the Hollywood
Forever Cemetery, going on its 13th season.
Catch a movie where many directors
screen their films and sometimes key off
audience reactions to tweak a scene or two
at the AMC/IMAX Century City 15 Theatres
at Westfield Century City shopping center.
Pay homage to the pioneers of the motion
picture era by watching a silent film on the
first Wednesday of the month at The Silent
Movie Theatre, a recently restored, art deco
cultural landmark built in 1942.
When you next watch a movie filmed in
the state, remember that not only are you
experiencing the drama of life, you’re also
getting a taste of California.
» GO TO
THE MOVIES
MOVIE LOCATIONS
Beverly Hills
greystonemansion.org
Inglewood
randys-donuts.com
Los Angeles
hollywoodmovietours.com
dearlydepartedtours.com
ultimatehollywoodtours.com
Monterey
montereymovietours.com
San Francisco
sanfranciscomovietours.com
Santa Barbara
sbbike.org/region/rides/rides
Sonoma County
sonoma-county.org/film
Stockton
riverboatdaves.com/docs/cmovies.html
Regional Film Offices
film.ca.gov
Statewide
movie-locations.com
STUDIO TOURS
Paramount
paramountstudiotour.com
Sony
sonypicturesstudiostours.com
Universal
universalstudioshollywood.com
Warner Bros.
vipstudiotour.warnerbros.com
JOIN A STUDIO AUDIENCE
Audience Associates
tvtix.com
Audiences Unlimited
tvtickets.com
BECOME AN EXTRA
Central Casting
centralcasting.com/LA/actors
Casting Networks
home.sfcasting.com/casting-calls
Be in a Movie
beinamovie.com
FILM BUFF
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
summer movie screenings
cinespia.org
Pacific Film Archive
bampfa.berkeley.edu
The Silent Movie Theatre
cinefamily.org/films/
the-silent-treatment
Westfield Century City
westfield.com/centurycity/movies
STACIESTAUFFSMITH PHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK; CHRISTIAN DE ARAUJO/SHUTTERSTOCK