Overview
Janina Müller
Janina Müller
Janina Müller
Janina Müller
Janina Müller
Janina Müller
Janina Müller
Janina Müller
Janina Müller
Film locations are more than just a place where a movie was filmed. When producing a movie or a series, one has to think about where it should be filmed. The right location can be essential.
It is not only about the city or the region, it is also about the interior. Movies with specific genres might only work in specific locations, but finding the location can be challenging.
Film is no longer considered as a text, but rather as a social practice. When researching about cinema or movies, one should look at how the image and the industry influences one another. The best to do so is by using the multi-method approach.
The multi-method approach combines qualitative and quantitative mehtods. The textual analysis should be intertwined with methods like spatial analysis, cartography, discourse analysis, field research and expeert interviews. This approach exposes new ways of undertsanding and offers unique insights. The goal is to understand why a certain film location is used and by whom. It is characterised by its flexibility and therefore can be used for numerous locations and studies.
Media production has shifted from clearly seperated media to overlapping media. This is because the technical equipment has become cheaper and thus available to a wider range of contributors. Media productions was once described with traditional media like films, music or news, it now includes more creative methods with new material and immaterial commodities and environments.
This can also be reffered to the location of a media production, in other words, its landscape.
Cinematic landscapes are influenced by the site where a movie was filmed and by the producers who decide how it is filmed. A cinematic landscape can never be defined as representational, because the only depict one point of view and do not show the reality. If your script needs a hospital, you do not usally film in a hospital, but rather search for a building that serves as a hospital.
By portraying a landscapes, a new landscapes is produced. That means, that the cinematic landscape is not pregiven, it is part of a process. It does not represent identity, it makes identification possible. The cinematic landscape comes alive with kinesthetic experiences and their emotional effects. It is the freest element of a film, as it is described as a montage of buildings, parks and other spaces. That makes it flexible.
Looking for the right location for your next film?
Here are some websites that might help you.
Music video filmed in the Nate Starkman Building.
The Nate Starkman Building is a former warehouse turned into a film location in the Los Angeles Arts District. It provides broad rooms with old wooden floors and brick walls. Two of the three floors are empty so it is easier for the film industry to shoot their specific needs. The old warehouse also provides interior that can be rented out.
Numerous movies were filmed here, like Pacific Heigths, Columbo, Fast & Furious or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, just to name a few.
What is outstanding for the building is its multifunctionality. It has the ability to become any place needed, regardless of space, place and time, so it is not limited to any particular genre.
Video about the Filmstudio Babelsberg.
The base of the Filmstudio Babelsberg was a fabric building bought in the 1910s by a Berlin film society. Numerous of silent movies were produced here.
The site now has 21 modern studios as well as a huge outdoor production area. It is one of the largest studio complex in Europe. Hollywood productions like Inglourious Basterds, The Hunger Games or Grand Budapest Hotel choose the Filmstudio Babelsberg as their film location. In 2021 the DARK BAY Virtual Production Studio was built. It is one of the biggest LED-studios for virtual film production and is permanently installed. The Netflix-series 1899 was filmed here.
Media production is influenced from different sides. This can easily be analysed by using the multi-method approach. It is not only important how a cinematic landscape is depicted, but also how it affects the viewer. Production thrive on seeing and being seen. Therefore, websites which list different film locations can help to spread certain locations and call attention to them. The Nate Starkman Building and the Filmstudio Babelsberg are prime examples for the importance of flexible film locations and the affect they have on the film industry.
Janina Müller