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Universal Studios has unveiled the restored New York streetback-lot location that burned down in a fire in June 2008. The lot, which consists of 13 city blocks of buildings, has been a tourist attraction and frequent location for commercials and films from The Sting to Blues Brothers. Get a look at the process behind the overhaul below known as The Phoenix Project. The Peter Jackson-created 360 3D King Kong attraction, replacing the original which also burned down, will open this summer.
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Saw a bit on Today about it focusing on the New York Street.
Look, I’m happy the tourist attraction is back. NBC/Universal needs the income. And for period shoots, you bet. For bright comic visuals, maybe. But that Disneyland version of NYC isn’t as visually diverse or vibrant as the original. I’m really tired when I can tell in 2 seconds that the piece wasn’t shot in NYC because it doesn’t look right, and this backlot isn’t going to change that.
You want NYC, shoot in NYC. Anything else is a pale imitation no matter how skilled the craftsmen putting it together.
Filming in New York City is a logistical nightmare. New York street was not dressed out in the piece you saw on the Today Show. I was there last night and it was perfectly decorated and including street performers and character actors.
This is what the Los Angeles production community needs NYC locations without the hassles and expenses of New York City, NY.
Well, perfectly decorated for Los Angeles, I’m sure. Are you a New Yorker?
We haven’t seen anything filmed on this yet, true. But going by past experience, it will be perfect only to those who haven’t been to New York City (or are in denial).
And filming ‘anywhere’ on a backlot is easier then going onto real streets. Filming in Los Angeles is a logistical nightmare. Miami. Chicago. San Francisco. All nightmares, but between light, age and depth issues, most of the time backlots are sad versions of the real things.
Or to those who don’t give a shit. Very few people care if the exact details are right or wrong, it’s the look, feel and tone that matter in films. If you love New York so much then go back there, and take your Yankees license plate frame with you. Go Mets.
Some do. Some don’t. Lots more people notice then you might think. Most accept that they have no control over it and let it go, but they notice.
Here’s the thing, if people don’t care about how something looks, why should anyone care if a movie about the Civil War is shot in Eastern Europe? Or be upset that a television series set in the midwest is shot in Canada? Because that means that you don’t get to work on it? Besides your friends and family, they don’t and won’t, Sure some might get that your industry affects the economy, but they are probably gonna care more about class sizes being smaller then 50.
You see, I get that it is only about jobs in California to you, and it doesn’t matter if what you produce look like fake. Nor does it matter that it isn’t necessary. You haven’t faced that added insult to the injury of runaway production.
You see it isn’t just the California film industry that faces runaway production. I’ve gotten to watch it runaway to you, as well as to Canada and now Europe for years. Despite what you think the film industry was here in New York before Hollywood, and has continued that entire time. Thought watching Ugly Betty (a show set in NYC) leave was a bitch, try watching a show with the name Los Angeles in the title go be shot somewhere else. I probably should be more sympathetic because it is painful, but I can’t dredge that up right now. Let me tell you, you will love when someone decides “Beverly Hills Beat” needs to be shot in Canada. Or how about watching a “Santa Monica Sunsets” shot in North Carolina, fun. Maybe “Pacific Coast Highway Patrol” shot in New Zealand with obvious topographic differences won’t be painful to you. Not even when someone you know says “I like the show, but why is it so dark…so green…what a fake mudslide. Then finishes by asking you why it looks strange, because you work in the business. It won’t just be the lost jobs that hurt the most, it will be the fact that it is done so badly. Even better you’ll get to hear about how it is cheaper, easier, and ‘very few people care if the exact details are right or wrong, it’s the look, feel and tone that matter in films,’ to justify it looking wrong because it means jobs where they are, without realizing that it is adding insult to injury. It gets even better when the more you look into it the more you discover it isn’t that much cheaper, but that it doesn’t matter.
After a couple of decades or so, you become resigned to most of the garbage about it. Maybe it won’t be the “it looks just like…” statements that stick in your craw. But I’m betting it will, because it doesn’t, and it won’t, and so often it is people who should care about the difference who will say it.
Glad you can appreciate at least one of our New York baseball teams. It is nice New Yorkers have choices, one NY team, the other NY team, both, or none even. It just makes a great city even greater
Gotta agree with that. I’ve got a NYC-based film in preproduction and am seriously considering shooting certain pickups and exts OUTSIDE NYC – there’s too much b—–t here: all the hassles, forms to be filled out, insurance concerns, licensing (you have to pay to depict the Empire State Bldg on film, did you know that? And other skyline landmark buildings too), AND ALL THE UNIONS. I’m a New Yorker and wanted to shoot my movie here, but you know, at the end of the day who needs it? If I could I’d shoot all the scenes against green screen and comp the skyline in digitally…
Went to the grand opening party, which was amazing, but not as amazing as the improvements made to New York Street. They also added London & Paris sections that are beautiful. I really hope that this means that California will get back some features!
Many ‘non-real’ genre movies can benefit from the slightly surreal aspect of these studio back lots. Romance movies in particular that are steeped in fantasy are well served by using these sort-of-real/sort-of-dream backgrounds to heighten their dreamlike effect. Why insult audiences – underemployed, stressed, holding on tight – with fake ‘real’ realities, when a real ‘fake’ reality has more potential for catharsis and kick back good times?
An example of this real/non-real city background used to more spooky effect was Kubrick’s New York in Eyes Wide Shut.
Bring movie magick back to LA!
As great as the new sets look, this 4-min. video reminds us of the enormous loss with the film/video vault. It would be wonderful for someone at Universal or the press to FINALLY provide an accurate accounting of all that was lost in the massive storage structure. I’ve heard rumors of priceless, master jazz recordings from the 1920s – ’40s, original 35mm negatives and release prints for Universal’s archival releases, and the “Charles In Charge” video masters — all destroyed. But nothing definitive.
The FILM vault on the back lot is an entirely different building from the VIDEO vault. The film vault was untouched by the fire. The vast majority of what was lost in the video vault, while certainly of value, was backed up elsewhere. Certain original masters may have been destroyed, but nearly all of this material was archived in a secondary location as well.
None of the originals were lost. All of those are stored in a private location in another state. The only thing that was in the video vaults were duplicates.
I thought the same thing until I did some research and found out that none of the original films were lost. some original posters were lost however, which still sucks.
Not “Charles In Charge?!!” Quick –bring me sackcloth and ashes, whilst I rend my garments…
Huh?
Sidewalks are much wider in NYC and dirtier, a bit cracked and very uneven…with old, mechanical metal doors for stores’ cellars. Storm sewer plates are at street corners…avenues are dotted with beat up trees, dirt patches and wrought iron fences.
NYC almost always has complex scaffolding around buildings at any given time – covered in billboards, plywood, graffiti…
The real NYC offers tax breaks too – and no, I’m not the mayor!
“Tax breaks”, schmax schmakes. Bloomie knows as well as anybody in production you shoot a NYC picture shop (union) the below the line will eat up your entire tax break the first day of the picture. I’m going to shoot it here in New York, but God Help Me.
Seriously me and my line producer God Help Us. The unions and insurance costs are going to eat us alive.
If it wasn’t an amusement park, they would’ve plowed it over and built condos.
The last time i saw NY it was still NY, other than that pigmy thing in jersey, it’s status quo.
-PC
The line about the film vault not being a loss because everything was backed up elsewhere is deceptive, I think. I’ve been watching the Rockford Files on DVD, and the quality of the image for the 4th season takes a sudden drop, and there are missing parts just before where commercial breaks would be. It seems like they are using old video dubs used for syndication.
There is more detailed discussion of this on the Amazon page for the DVD set.
The biggest problem with Hollywood backlot versions of 5th Avenue or Brownstones apart from unrealistically visualised or weathered facades is that there is no vanishing perspective. Streets terminate at a T section every 1 or 200 feet or so with buildings on the other side, which is an immediate flag for limited studio backlot space. In the real NYC the Avenues run the full length of Manhattan Island. Studios could re create this by erecting huge, high realistic backdrops with a vanishing perspective avenue at either end of a street set so the eye is fooled. Also backlot streets sets aren’t wide enough curb to curb. For instance 5th Ave, street & curbed sidewalks included is a massive 80 feet wide, that would take up a lot of backlot space. Finally, backlot free standing NYC sets are usually only 30 – 40 feet high, previiously matte paintings & now CGI can fake a 150ft high building but these effects aren’t always used. Where in downtown 42nd Street are the buildings only 40′ high. The sets need to be built higher, building hight restrictions notwithstanding. Such a shame the MGM backlot no longer exists, they had 5th Ave down pat!