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Thursday, September 19, 2024

A look at the behind-the-scenes business of Hollywood studio lot tours

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The Hollywood sign can be seen on a clear stormy day.

Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty Images

For more than a hundred years, Hollywood has transported audiences into worlds beyond its own, from the smooth streets of New York City to the yellow bricks of Oz.

With hundreds of acres of Los Angeles devoted to crafting stories for the biggest and smallest screens, movie studios are giving movie lovers more ways than ever to see how and where the magic happens behind the scenes.

“Visiting a studio, being able to go where these things are happening, to be in the physical space where people have been watching all these things for over a hundred years seems like the most natural tourist destination in the world,” said Robert, who is Snow's director. Professor at City University.

Sponsor universal, warner bros., sony and Paramountstudio tours showcasing the filmmaking process from set design and sound recording to costumes and props. These paid experiences not only generate revenue for the studio, but also serve as a training program for lower-level employees new to the company, as well as providing supplemental marketing for upcoming projects.

“Los Angeles is the only destination in the world where visitors can visit multiple studios located in different neighborhoods across our city,” said Adam Burke, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Visitors Bureau and Convention Bureau.

According to the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, the film industry generates more than $100 billion in tourism revenue. Attractions such as studio tours, the Hollywood Sign, Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame attract visitors from far and wide.

“While visitors are often drawn to studio tours by watching their favorite TV shows or movies… we hope they leave with a greater appreciation for the entertainment industry, Los Angeles' unique culture and the city's vibrant creative heritage,” Burke said. Deep understanding.

Universal, Warner Bros., Sony and Paramount declined to say how much revenue their studio tours generate each year or how many people come through their doors, but they all noted that traffic and demand for their products remain strong.

“(Studio tours) can appeal to all different levels of people, people who are really fascinated by what's going on behind the scenes and how it works and how things are made, and even regular people who don't have that curiosity about where all these things are actually done. The excitement of showing up,” Thompson said.

sony

Sony Pictures Studios, located in Culver City, is the newest tenant on its 45-acre property. The complex was MGM's original studios and is now home to the hit TV shows “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune.”

“Seinfeld” is set at Sony Pictures Studios.

Sarah Wheaton | CNBC

Sony's two-hour walk, which costs $55 per person, begins with a tour of the “Seinfeld” set and a prop display from famous movies and TV shows such as “Spider-Man” and “The Wire.”

Guests will soon see the massive 94-foot rainbow, built by artist Tony Tasset in 2012, looming over the studio. This is a tribute to “The Wizard of Oz” which was filmed here more than 85 years ago. The tour guide was eager to point out which soundstages were where various moments in the movie were filmed, including the infamous scene where the evil witch melts.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has many movie studios.

Aaron Pu/Bauer-Griffin | Gas Chromatography | Getty Images

The site's modern tenants, “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” most watched tv shows Outside of live sports events. Guests can enter the set when the show is not filming; otherwise the tour guide will show different locations. Tours change daily based on which areas of the studio are open to the public and which areas are closed for production use.

In addition, Sony allows guests into its Foley studio to see how sound is created for movies and television.

Kitchen supplies used on the Foley stage at Sony Pictures Studios were a cluttered mess.

Sarah Wheaton | CNBC

The cluttered space has a variety of floors – wood, concrete, stone, gravel – multiple handles on the doors with different kinds of locks, a shelf with an assortment of shoes, and a kitchen Inside are an assortment of plastic and metal bottles, cups, cutlery and cutlery.

Vehicles from Breaking Bad and Ghostbusters are also on display here.

A Ghostbusters vehicle was spotted during a Sony Pictures Studios tour.

Sarah Wheaton | CNBC

warner bros.

Warner Bros. has made a big push to attract customers who visit its studios.

In addition to guided tours of the grounds, which range from one to three hours depending on the package, the company has created a complete interactive soundstage, called “Stage 48,” to showcase film and television The process and production of the show.

The tour was a combination of walking and pushing a cart around the backlot blocks. Guests can stroll through suburban filming locations for “Friends,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Gilmore Girls,” as well as jungle areas used by “Jurassic Park,” “True Blood” and “Aquaman.”

Warner Bros. Studios building exterior.

Sarah Wheaton | CNBC

Visitors will notice that many non-Warner Bros. productions are staged on the lot, as is common among all Los Angeles studios. The production team will rent studio space at other studios as needed. For example, the famous upside-down fire escape kiss in 2002's Spider-Man was produced by Sony but shot at Warner Bros. a lot of.

The guided tour also includes a short walk through Warner Bros. Spacious prop room. This area features a replica of the Maltese Falcon falcon statue, a monolithic marble and faux marble bust, and a room filled from floor to ceiling with lamps, candelabra and chandeliers.

Floor-to-ceiling shelves at Warner Bros. are filled with marble and faux marble busts. Studio tour prop house.

Sarah Wheaton | CNBC

After the guided tour portion, visitors will reach stage 48.

Here, fans of “Friends,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Lord of the Rings,” the Batman movies and “Harry Potter” can take photos on recreated sets and green screen sets. Some of these photos require additional fees.

A view of Stage 48 at Central Perk during the grand reopening of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood.

Matt Winkelmeier | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

The area also features costumes from several famous classic films as well as interactive stations showcasing various elements of the post-production process.

Guests will then be transported back to the Welcome Center and walk through an area where Warner Bros. displays costumes and props from DC Cinematic Universe films such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman and The Flash, and Game of Thrones “Costumes from “Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts” series,” as well as props and costumes from the “Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts” series.

A view of the costumes on display in Action Made Here: DC Universe during the grand reopening of Warner Bros. Studio Hollywood on June 24, 2021 in Burbank, California.

Matt Winkelmeier | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

A one-hour guided tour, plus two hours of unguided commentary on Stage 48, is $73 per ticket. Meanwhile, the two-hour guided tour, which includes admission to Stage 48 and lunch, is $160, and the deluxe three-hour guided tour, which includes a gourmet lunch and access to Stage 48, is $330 per ticket.

Warner Bros. also recently launched the Turner Classic Movies Tour, which takes visitors to the filming locations of “Casablanca,” “My Fair Lady” and “The Music Man.”

Paramount

While Warner Bros.' tour focuses much of its attention on completed film and television productions, Paramount's studio tour delves into the making of those films and TV series.

The tour combines walking and trolley tours of the grounds, with guided tours as part of the Paramount Pages program taking guests to meet the people who keep production running.

The pages serve as studio tour guides during their first six months at the studio. They are then qualified to work around the venue, assist with audience management for TV shows, or even be hired to give VIP tours.

Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California.

Bloomberg | Getty Images

There are three levels of Paramount tours: regular studio tours, which last two hours and cost $65 per person; and top-level tours, which last three hours and allow visitors to see the archives and more backlots, cost $150 per person. USD; VIP tour lasts 4 hours and costs USD 215 per person.

This most in-depth selection introduces guests to the many tradespeople on site, including lighting crews and sign makers, as well as an archivist who will guide them through a collection of archival costumes and props, including jewelry. VIP options also offer private lunch or breakfast.

Sign created at Paramount Studios Sign Studio.

Paul Dergarabedian

Guests will visit director Alfred Hitchcock's offices, stroll around New York City, and catch a glimpse of the actors and actresses who worked on “Star Wars: Episode IV: The Journey Home,” “The Truman Show” and “Star Wars: Episode IV.” “Blue Sky Tank” used in “Journey Home”.

There are many vehicles in the prop warehouse, including the “Easter Egg Car” from “Sonic the Hedgehog” and the pod from “Star Wars Beyond”, as well as a life-size Bumblebee from the “Transformers” series.

universal studios

The Universal Studios Hollywood theme park actually begins with a studio tour. Guests have had exclusive access to production sites since 60 years ago, and over time Universal Studios began to introduce special effects attractions.

These include staged flash floods (10,000 gallons of water rushing downhill toward guests), earthquake simulations, and, of course, the terrifying great white shark erupting from a small lake.

The Steven Spielberg movie “Jaws” was filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Gabrielle Buice | AFP | Getty Images

This one-hour studio tour attraction, included with admission to the theme park, also features two immersive rides: one shows King Kong fighting dinosaurs, and the other sees the cast of the Fast and Furious movies enter Driving at high speed. Guests remain on the tram while experiencing these rides.

The standard tour also takes guests to several classic locations, including the Bates Motel from “Psycho,” the plane crash from “War of the Worlds” and the courthouse from “Back to the Future.”

Media took the Universal Studios Trolley to tour the newly rebuilt New York Street, which was destroyed by a fire two years ago. Universal Studios Hollywood will open Friday the New York Backlot Trolley Tour, which was rebuilt after a fire destroyed the New York neighborhood in 2008.

Alan J. Cockroach | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

General admission to the theme parks starts at $109 per person, but varies depending on the time of year – the holiday season is usually more expensive.

Those who want a more in-depth look at the studio grounds can purchase a VIP tour package, which includes extended backstage access, private trolleys, buffet lunch, and priority access to all rides and attractions in the park. VIP experiences cost $379 to $499 per person.

“The concept of Hollywood is so elusive that when visitors visit Los Angeles, there’s always someone who wonders, ‘Will I see movie stars?’” Dennis Satterfield, director of studio tourism operations for Universal Studios Hollywood explain. “Studio tours help take away some of that sense of wonder. Guests can enter a real movie studio and have the opportunity to see the production, movie sets and sometimes even the movie stars in their environment.”

Revealed: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.

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