| Studio Tours are popular LA attractions - see
the sets and studios where movies and TV shows are made and even
be part of the sit in audience for comedies or other TV shows.
Typically the major studios will be closed on Saturday and
Sundays. Only major studios are listed on this page - there
are many smaller studios in LA that most of the public has never
heard of. Did you know that the largest US based Pornography
film industry is based in the San Fernando Valley? None of those
studios are listed on this page. Some of the more popular
mainstream studio locations are listed below. |
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Paramount Studios, inside, close to the Melrose Ave side |
Paramount Studios is located on Gower
Street just south of Hollywood Blvd. For Audience Shows and Studio tours
please call the info line at Phone Number (323) 956-1777 - you must make
advance reservations. Allow 2 hours for the
actual guided tour. A golf cart is provided to drive you around from set
to set although there is a bit of walking on the actual sets. This is a
true production tour, not an "entertainment/theme' tour. Paramount is
always filming a large variety of TV shows so you never know which set
you will walk onto or which ones you can't access due to live filming.
When we were here, Eddie Murphy was filming a new movie and to indicate
a live set, flashing red lights shine outside the main sets entrance.
The main entrance is on 5555 Melrose Ave - and parking is available in a
lot almost directly across from the entrance. You pay a small amount to
park, but then bring your Paramount Studios ticket back after your tour
and your payment will be refunded.
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It is recommended you arrive at least 15-20
minutes early. After you go through security you will meet your
tour guide at the "coffee/snack shop". Look for employees and
actors lounging around drinking coffee inside and outside on the
nearby tables. Tours are always quite small - maybe 10 people or
so. The nice thing about this tour is each tour is different due
to always varying production schedules as well as the fact that
there is no set script the tour guides need to adhere to. This
is quite refreshing and *very* personable as it helps liven
things up for the tour guides and for you should |
you return for an additional tour. Another note -
always ask questions...this also helps keep things lively for your group
as well as your tour guide. Our guide was awesome...always trying to get
us onto sets and near live filming. We were also able to meet several
set construction employees. Think movie making is all glamour for
actors? We saw many of the extras just sitting around listening to Ipods
looking bored. In addition to the massive sets that are constructed for
Television and Movies, Paramount also has outside sets - including their
New York City back lot - which down to the most mundane details such as
scuff marks on sidewalks resembles a real city. Did you know that
studios rent out their space to other studios. So despite a movie being
produced by one studio, in actuality that movie may have been filmed at
a number of studios.
Another highlight is a visit to Paramount's Camera office where you may
meet with some of their key employees who work here. Did you know that
the majority of movies and TV programs are still shot entirely with
film. Until much higher quality affordable digital technology comes
along, the film industry will continue to use tried and true technology.
Paramount Studios is the only major studio actually located in
Hollywood. Paramount has a long rich history with film and some of this
history is touched upon by your guide. In addition, a color pamphlet is
given which provides further historical details. Other highlights are
the huge painted sky which towers over the "B Tank" - what is normally
used as an employee parking lot, but which can also be filled with water
for "ocean" scenes, the bench where Forest Gump sat, and if not being
used, entry to the "Dining Room" restaurant where some famous actors and
directors have their "favorite" tables - pointed out by your guide.
Please view our photos below. For more info & to reserve
tickets visit:
www.paramount.com/studio
20th Century Fox Studios are located at 10201 Pico Boulevard in
Century City. Visit their studio tours website here:
www.foxstudios.com/flash/main.htm
Culver Studios are located in Culver City. No information about
whether tours are available and we have not visited these studios yet.
Visit:
www.theculverstudios.com
NBC Studio Tours are located in Burbank at 3000 W. Alameda Ave.
Tours are among the most reasonably priced of all the major area studios and
they start regularly 9am - 3pm on
weekdays. During Summer and Holidays tours are given on weekends also.
Working television studios are located here and the tours are unstaged
so you never know what or who you will see. Depending on availability, you do get to step backstage to see
how The Tonight Show is filmed as well as visit the Days of Our Lives
set. Each walking tour lasts about 70
minutes. For more information visit:
www.nbc.com/Footer/Tickets
Phone (818) 840-3537 or to write for tickets use:
NBC Tickets - 3000 W. Alameda Ave - Burbank, CA 91523. You can also pick up tickets on a first come first service basis
starting daily at 8am at the main NBC ticket counter.
Sony Picture Studios is located in Culver City at 10202 W.
Washington Blvd. This is somewhat away from where most of the studios
are located. Culver city is located near where the 405 and the 10 meet.
Parking is free and the two-hour walking tour departs from Sony Pictures
Plaza at various times, M-F. This tour is a bit more intimate than say
the Universal Studios trolley tour - as here you actually walk on the
studio lots and onto sound stages. Popular game shows, Wheel of Fortune
& Jeopardy are filmed here and depending on availability you can
sometimes walk onto these sets. More info:
www.sonypicturesstudios.com/tourssection/tours.html or Phone: (323)
520-8687
Sunset Gower Studios (no tours given but mentioned here for
reference) are located just south of Hollywood Blvd on Gower Street
heading towards Paramount Studios. You can easily see the main stages
from the street. From the website this studio gives the appearance of
being fairly small compared to the other behemoth studios in the LA
Area. Visit their very informative website here:
www.sunsetgower.com
The major film company, Universal Studios has a theme park
including tours of the movie sets located at 100 Universal City Plaza in
Universal City. Universal Studios is billed as the "world's largest
movie studio & theme park. Universal Studios is located off of the 101
freeway (north east side) just north of Los Angeles. This is a great
place to enjoy behind the scenes tours of movie sets, TV shows and see
current movies being filmed. There are several large parking garages
($10 for general or $20 for preferred closer parking). You enter through
a huge theme shop and restaurant lined walkway - on a weekend or warm
day this long walkway can be extremely crowded.
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Universal Studios Hollywood will roll out a
red carpet for repeat visitors, providing an unprecedented array
of perks, privileges and discounts for just $5.00 more than the
price of a single-day admission.
The 2009 All Access Pass will offer unrestricted 365-day “no
black-out date” park access, a dedicated VIP “hassle-free”
express front gate entrance, Backlot Studio Tour priority
boarding privileges for most of the year, plus an array of
discounts on all food and merchandise purchases at the theme
park and $12 off the purchase of guest tickets.
Other “hassle free” highlights of the “2009 All Access Pass”
includes Universal Studios Hollywood unprecedented “Umbrella
Policy” which |
takes the barometer and weather forecast guesswork
from the theme park equation. With “The World’s First-Ever Theme Park
Guaranteed Rain Check,” guests visiting Universal Studios Hollywood will
receive a rain check ticket valid for use any time in the following 30
days on a day that the park receives over 1/8” of rainfall by 2:00 p.m.
Plus, on rainy days, guests will be provided with complimentary coffee
and hot chocolate at designated covered and indoor rest areas.
An informative electronic sign near the entrance will inform you of the
approximate wait times for each ride or attraction - course if you have
a VIP pass, this information is irrelevant. You can actually walk among movie sets &
stages with the VIP passes. VIP passes also allows you to cut to the
front of the lines for pretty much everything, and also meet some of the
select actors and actresses from the shows. If you have never been to
Universal Studios before it is recommended you head right to the studio
tour. Its about an hour in length; you sit in open air cars as your tour
guide and driver drive you throughout the sets, studios and select very
famous stages from well-known movies such as Jaws, War of the Worlds and
more. Some highlights of this tour: the earthquake you experience inside
one of the stages, a flood that appears miraculously, a visit from King
Kong and a shark that "attacks". You even drive onto several TV Show sets.
Besides the movie sets, there are many theme rides, family type fun,
shows and shopping. Select well-known characters will be in costume
walking around parts of Universal mostly mobbed by the public for
photos. Often you can find coupons for good discounts off admission in
local area tourist publications - and if you are a
Triple AAA member - you can
also sometimes find significant discount coupons in their VIA magazine
off of admission. More information is available here:
www.universalstudioshollywood.com (click on the Parks & Resorts
Link). Or:
www.citywalkhollywood.com
Universal Studios Photos:
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| One of the Sets |
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Main Entrance |
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Entrance Tower |
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Universal Globe |
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Universal Sign |
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| Water World - flying planes, explosions, a
raucous wet crowd - all make for a wild time! |
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Rolling out the red carpet. A favorite spot
for photos. |
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War of World's Set - one of the largest and
most impressive of Universal's movie sets |
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This poor fellow is unable to afford a
Hollywood Makeover. |
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A wonderfully clear day, overlooking the
Sets & part of the San Fernando Valley |
Warner Brothers is located in Burbank at 3400 W. Riverside Drive
not far at all from Universal Studios (See below). Their standard most
popular tour
is the VIP Studio Tour and is a 2 hour 15 min cart tour through
the actual sets and current productions. This tour ends at their
Memorabilia museum. They also have a 5 hour deluxe
tour for serious film buffs. Tours depart very often from 8:30am to 4pm weekdays. Parking is at
Gate 6 behind the main building. Visit:
www.wbstudiotour.com and click on VIP studio tours
or Phone: (818) 972-8687
Note - The websites listed below, Be in a Movie and TV Tix allow you to
get tickets to TV Shows or be in a movie for free. You can check their
websites for upcoming TV shows and movies and then signup online for
tickets. Before the actual show or movie filming you will be called by
an automated caller giving you the updated details and they will provide
a phone number for you to call back to confirm your presence at the
actual show or movie. Be aware that oftentimes filming locations and
times for movies can change at the last minute.
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