I am a chronic background watcher when it comes to movies. I love trying to figure out the location where it was filmed, to see if they used the real place, or went with a cheaper alternative. Such as the way Hollywood commonly films in Montreal instead of New York or LA to save on production costs. Or the way the Lord of the Rings filmed in beautiful New Zealand.
Sometimes I manage to catch sight of something that gives it away. I have even seen some places in my hometown that showed it was filmed there. But I don't always get it right, and with CGI and advanced set building and camera work, it can be really difficult to tell the difference these days.
If you are like me and find it hard to resist pinning the place behind the movie down, check out these helpful tools.
IMDB
If you can figure out where a certain scene was done on the list, you are fine. But it can be a little harder when there are multiple cities.
On the plus side, their member boards are always entertaining.
WWIF?
My favorite part is the popular searches section on the front page. Mainly because the searches they have listed are really weird. Three of the movies there at the time of this writing are Basic Instinct, Dude, Where's My Car and The Wedding Singer. Are any of those known for their breathtaking views or recognizable locations? Why are so many people interested in such obscure titles?
In any case, WWIF? is worth a bookmark.
Wikipedia
On Location Vacations
I have to admit, this is kind of creepy. Just because I picture an obsessed stalker with an actress' face tattooed to their body looking for updates on her location. But if you just want to check out a movie set, On Location Vacations is a cool way to let you do it.
Seriously, though...no stalkers.
Film Maps
You can also search for films themselves, of course. But they have a lot of stuff that has no information on it, so if you happen to know a location, be sure to post it.
Conclusion
Whether you want to know the specific location of a film you enjoyed, or you just want to see what was filmed in a specific area, you can find out from the sites above. You can even find new locations being filmed now, and check it out. There is nothing as exciting as seeing filming in action, and plenty of sets aren't entirely closed. It's amazing how social media and the Internet are changing the travel industry, isn't it?
Do you have another site you like to use? Let us know in the comments.
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Submitted by: Jessy Troy
About Today Contributor
Jessy is the entertainment and creativity blogger tweeting as @JessyTroy