Day 2
July 11, 2019
On this voyage, I never really put any thought into what I was going to do while I was in LA like I did with other destinations. This led to me waking up on my second day having no idea what to do! So I researched and browsed the internet to find something fun, close by, and would not break the bank. I found lots of things that I would have visited, but they were either too far away, or too expensive (I’m looking at you Universal Studios!). So I found some middle ground with the Warner Bros Studio Tour.
This tour was my favorite thing I planned while in Los Angeles. I know, I know, in my last blog I said I am not interested in celebrities, however, I am interested in what goes on behind the scenes to create a movie or show. I Ubered over to the studios because I still was not confident about public transportation, which led me to arrive at 11 am for a 12:30 pm tour. However, the studio was very nice and let me join an earlier group.
The tour started with a 10-minute video in their visitor’s center, which gave a glimpse of all the movies they produced and what to expect on the tour. I did not realize how many movies and shows they helped create! The video did a very great job getting me excited for the tour!
After the short video, our group was assigned to a tour guide named Ben. Ben led our group of ten around the studio lot on a tram throughout the two-hour tour. He was extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the studio, being able to answer all our burning questions.
The Backlots
Our first stop of the tour was the backlot, or where all the exterior sets are located. Ben drove us around all the different streets until we were able to stop a get out at Midwest Street. It is called Midwest Street because many movies and shows that are supposed to depict this area of the country, or suburbia are filmed here.
The main shows to be filmed here, and mentioned the most, were Pretty Little Liars and Gilmore Girls. Unfortunately, I did not watch either show, so was not able to share everyone’s enthusiasm. However, it was neat to see the inside of some of the houses that they use for filming. There was even one house that had two facades. So basically the backyard of the house was another front exterior of a different looking house than the front. So they could film two different houses, using only one house!
Exhibit Building
After Midwest Street, we hopped back on the tram and went to the Exhibit building. Located here were a bunch of memorabilia for DC movies and also my favorite Harry Potter! They had movie props from the most recent DC movies Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Upstairs were the movie props from all the Harry Potter films. However, their collection was not as impressive as the Harry Potter tour that came to the Boston Science Museum a few years back.
Celebrity Encounter
On our way to the next stop of the tour, we did spot and speak with an actor. Nathan Fillion was standing outside the sound stage where he was filming for his new show, The Rookie. I do not watch his new show, however, I did enjoy watching Castle which he previously starred in. He was incredibly nice! He said hello to us all, asked us how our tour was going and said he hopes we enjoy the rest of the tour and day.
The Batcave
Next up, was The Batcave, a portion of a sound stage filled with various automobiles from the Batman legacy. According to our guide Ben, all the cars and motorcycles can be driven, but would not say how well they drive! He did mention that one of the cars is supposed to look like a Ferrari, but in reality, it is the engine of a Nissan Altima. Although the Tumbler was clocked at speeds over 100mph!
The Prop House
Across from The Batcave is the prop house. A three-story building, overflowing with all sorts of different and unusual props for use in movies and films! It reminded me of a Pier 1 Imports on steroids! There were props in there that I recognized from various movies and films! The most famous props we were able to see were the White House Oval Room replicas.
Ellen Degeneres Show
The second to last stop of the tour was my absolute favorite …the Ellen DeGeneres show stage!! I had looked into getting tickets to Ellen’s show, but unfortunately, they do not film in July (they get a month off). And apparently, it’s nearly impossible to get a seat to an Ellen taping! According to our tour guide Ben, all you have to do to get a ticket is 1. register for one online…..and 2. pray. The tickets are free, but the waiting list is unbelievably long. Maybe one day!
The End
The last stop of the tour was Friends Central Perk and Big Bang Theory sets. They have an interactive section where you can act out a scene from Friends, but it wasn’t something I was interested in. Due to the constant scene reenactments, it prevented me from getting a good picture of the set. There is also a gift shop and a Central Perk cafe you can grab food from, but I decided to head back to the hostel to eat.
While waiting in line to take a tram back to the visitor’s center, none other than Nathan Fillion passed us again after a costume change and yelled out `hello everyone!’ Again such a nice guy!
For anyone going visiting the LA area, I would recommend a trip to Warner Bros Studio!
I need to go to the Friends Central Perk and do a re-enactment! This would be a dream come true for me haha
Also, during my time as a Teacher Leader with People to People, our students were able to write, direct, and film their own short films on the backlots! It was an amazing experience for both them and I!