Shooting a scene in a really amazing place, with some added practical effects and some cherry-on-top computer-generated imagery is bound to make it memorable. And there are a lot of this kind of memorable film scenes that we can conjure up in our memory at any moment, and an even lot more mind-blowing places from movies that actually do exist.
Real settings and places are a true asset for shooting a movie. And when a director can masterfully make use of practical effects and real surroundings, then we’re in for a feast of great cinematography, isn’t it? At least we should.
The practical effects on a movie set are special effects that are produced physically, without the use of any computer-generated imagery, or other post-production methods. Funny enough, they might cost more than using computer-generated images to create fictional locations. A lot of additional resources are needed in the case of real-life movie sites, like sending people out to study those locations beforehand, not to mention moving all the cameras and crew and actors to those specific locations.
These mind-blowing places from movies are giving fans a chance to walk where their favourite characters have walked
Famous film location will swarm with fans afterwards, who will want to relive those masterful scenes in real life. Maybe in the future CGI will fully replace real movie locations and the use of practical effects will become an obsolete technique. However, until that moment comes, you’re still able to visit some of the most mind-blowing places from movies and relive your favourite scenes. What is more, some of these places you might not even believe they’re real. Are you ready?
For another dose of real life locations, check out these Disney Movie locations inspired by real life!
1. The planet of Tatooine from Star Wars
The first Star Wars was being produced in the ’70s, when George Lucas was discovering CGI and the world was ready to be taken aback by a bunch of “Ninjas” fighting with light sabers and using the power of the force as an invisible way of moving objects around. Children around the planet were wondering if they could learn the mysteries of the force and thus not have to go to the kitchen to take the milk out of the fridge. At least, I was imagining doing that when I first watched the Star Wars.
Anyways, the scenes on the deserted planet of Tatooine, also known as the home of Luke Skywalker, were actually filmed in North Africa. Many of those weird-looking houses seen in the film are actual buildings in that area. For example, Obi Wan’s house is a real fisherman’s home. Luke’s original house is now a hotel where fans can even stay the night.
2. The top-of-trees fight in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
That memorable scene in which Li Mu Bai battling stubborn Jen on the top of a bamboo forest was actually filmed in the largest bamboo forest in China. The actors were actually running along the bamboo secured by safety harnesses which were then removed in post-production. The dedication of the director and the intricate practical effects in this scene were really worth it.
3. Hogwarts does exist!
Well, you won’t get your Hogwarts letter, so don’t get too excited whatsoever. However, you can visit some of the places where the story of Harry Potter unfolded. The Alnwick castle from Northumberland served as a double for Hogwarts during the filming of the first two Harry Potter movies. The train platform from Hogwarts is actually situated in Kings Cross Station in London.
Even the Hogwarts express exists, only that it never travels to Hogwarts, but it does go through Scotland like in the film. The Great Hall inside Hogwarts is actually the Christ Church in Oxford and Harry Potter’s house does exist also. However, it does not look at all like the one in the movie, so don’t bother!
4. The great wall from Game of Thrones is from a national park in Iceland
Game of Thrones really was the most ambitious TV show in history and might keep this crown for some time. It featured an immense tale, a broad range of characters, and an epic fictional world that found its correspondents in real life. The King’s Landing scenes were mainly filmed along the coast of Croatia, while the colder locations in the series are from Northern Ireland.
The great wall is actually a location from a national park located in Iceland and the list can go on. One thing is sure, the Game of Thrones story will haunt us for years to come. What a great, epic tale!
5. Twin Peaks
The fictional town from Oregon is not so fictional actually. Most of the filming has been done in some northern areas of the Washington state. The great Northern Hotel is located in an area commonly known as Snowualmie.
The Double R Diner is actually called Twede’s Cafe in real life and you can find it in North Bend. Twin Peaks is still regarded as one of the best television shows ever made and now you can visit your favourite spots in the state of Washington. Sorry, Oregon people!
6. You shouldn’t miss the Lord of the Rings locations!
The Lord of the Rings was filmed almost entirely in New Zealand. Mordor, Hobbiton, Rivendell and other key locations do actually have a correspondent in real life. The new LOTR TV series produced by Amazon is also going to be filmed in New Zealand and we can’t wait to see it!
The rest of the magic that happened in the Lord of the Rings was produced in Wellington and Queenstown, where very talented visual artists put it all together, digitally.
You can still visit the Hobbiton as the set was kept in its entirely by the owners of the Alexander farms were it was built. You can take a sit at the Green Dragon inn, explore the market place and even visit the Hobbit cute holes.
The Rivendell scenes were actually filmed in the Kaitoke Regional Park. Some pieces of the set are still there, so put your exploration shoes on and go on an adventure through the Elvish forest.
The epic battle of Gordon and Rohan fighting off the orcs of Mordor took place on a privately owned piece of land near the town of Twizel. The mighty city of Rohan was actually built in 9 months and it was located in the Hakatere Conservation Park, in Ireland. There are really a lot of places to visit there if you’re a die-hard LOTR fan.
7. The Truman Show was real
Seahaven was actually set in a small private residence from Florida, similarly named Seaside. It was built and owned by Robert Davis who had inherited the land and decided to do something unique with it. Little did he know that it was going to be the town that inspired one of the strangest films we’ll ever see.
8. The Canyon of the Crescent Moon from Indiana Jones is actually the ancient city of Petra
In Indiana Jones: The Lost Crusade, Harrison Ford, and Sean Connery travel to a lost canyon city in order to find the Holy Grail. In the movie, they go down to a temple filled with traps and some beautiful carvings on the entrance door. However, in reality, the entrance is quite narrow and there are no deadly snares, but who cares? The movie is nuts!
Via The Clever
