Getting Inside Hollywood Studios

Millions of people arrive in Los Angeles and Hollywood every year looking to experience a taste of the Hollywood experience, see celebrities and see how their favorite movies and tv shows are made. Universal Studios is the most popular tourist attraction for seeing the mechanics of how a studio operates, however there are many other studios in Los Angeles offer inside looks of how they operate as well. These studios are Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures and Warner Brothers. All of these studios offer daily tours and have an extensive film library and Hollywood film history.

The most easily accessible studio is Universal. Less than 20 minutes from the heart of Hollywood in Studio City (San Fernando Valley), Universal is more than a studio but a complete theme park. Universal Studios most famous attraction is its tram tour. Trams depart every few minutes and take visitors on an extensive hour long tour of the studio backlot. Guests will be shown sound stages, cross rickety bridges, see great floods, plane crashes, city blocks and old west towns-all featured in hundreds of movies. Universal Studios prides itself on switching up the various attractions along the tram route. However one of the stops along the route that has been thrilling guests for decades is the Jaws experience. As the tram rides along a lake shoreline, a mechanical shark leaps out to the surprise of tram riders. In addition to the tram tour, Universal offers a whole park with roller coasters, shows and exhibits dedicated to the biggest movie franchises of all time.

Adjacent to Universal Pictures in Burbank is the Warner Brothers lot. Like Universal, Warner Brothers is a sprawling campus full of sound stages, movie executive offices and various facade backdrops. Warner Brothers offers a combined walking and cart tour of their backlot, however the tour is not as extensive as those offered by its neighbor Universal Studios. Warner Brothers tours are a combined golf cart and walking tour experience. The tour takes visitors through the various alley ways between the sound stages, facades and outdoor sets. The tour lasts a total of a little over 2 hours and includes a stop at the Warner Brothers museum where visitors can see up close and personal props and costumes used in some of the biggest movies ever made. For those looking to do a tour and be a part of a live studio audience, the Ellen Degeneres show films daily on the Warner Brothers lot. The price of the tour is $45.00 and runs Monday through Fridays. There is an upgraded tour where for $195 guests are taken onto actual live movie sets as well as a lunch at the famous Warner Brothers commissary where visitors are guaranteed an up close and personal sighting (or even interaction) with one of their favorite movie stars.

Paramount Pictures is one of the last studios to maintain a presence in Hollywood and offers a combined walking and cart tour of the back lot. Paramount Pictures is an expansive studio lot that is located about 2 miles from the Hollywood and Highland Center. The Studio includes several sound stages and offices for producers and studio executives. Visitors looking to embrace and experience Hollywood's past will probably find the Paramount tour to be the highest value over Universal and Warner Brothers as the Paramount lot is far older and has been in continuous production of movies before both Warner Brothers and Universal. Countless movies, tv shows and commercials have been filmed on the Paramount Pictures lot. In addition to the tour, visitors will be able to visit the Paramount Store where t-shirts, DVDS and memorabilia from their favorite movies of all time are for sale. The cost of the the Hollywood tour is $35.00 and guests need to be 12 and up.

Sony Pictures is located south of Los Angeles in the city of Culver City that is adjacent to LAX. This studio lot like all the rest in Los Angeles includes sprawling back lots, sound stages and history. The studio has changed ownership many times and has included names such Columbia Pictures and MGM. It was this studio lot that several classics including the Wizard of Oz were fjlmed. The studio offers a daily walking tour of its sound stages and facilities. The Sony Pictures lot is slightly smaller than the Paramount and Warner Brothers lot-therefore a cart is not utilized. It is the Sony Pictures lot that game shows Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are taped.

Studios, movies, television and Hollywood are all synonymous with each other. A studio tour during a trip to Los Angeles can be exciting and educational and will leave visitors with a greater appreciation and understanding of how their favorite movies and television shows are made.

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com