I noticed after watching the Andy Griffith Show, how some of the town names, especially Mayberry and neighboring Mount Pilot, are fiction in the real North Carolina. However the actual name Raleigh and even Silar City are often used. So in essence you have both real and fiction together in one place.
In Smokey and the Bandit you have a real Texarkana but a fictional Portague County it's in as the Texas side of the city in reality is Bowie County.
Then you have shows like Dallas with that one stupid story line of JR getting arrested because two crazed town boys didn't like JR for stealing their younger sister's virginity and thought that he should die. Instead of the two men being arrested for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, JR got arrested for rape. The whole thing implied either that the US had fifty-one states or decided to make it one the existing fifty but using the term "The State" to avoid naming the actual state.
Then Green Acres with just using Hooterville but no state name and as part of the running gag of the entire show to feed its premise would in each season to lead viewers that the fictional world is in either in the Midwest or at times in the South. To throw things off the state capital is never called out by name either.
Dukes of Hazzard the same way. We all know it's supposed to be Georgia, but Atlanta is simply called the State Capital. There wasn't even a name given for the County Seat either in the show. Also in the real Georgia no Sheriff is appointed by one man, but elected by the citizens as in the Dukes universe Boss Hogg controls the law enforcement there. Although the Boss owning most of the land is plausible as in Kenedy County Texas only US 77 is the only public open to public part of the county while the rest of the county is private property and the County Seat is on a private road. So that part could actually be. As far as an unnamed county seat look at Arlington, VA.
Why so much fiction within reality? Why didn't Andy Griffith just use a real name for Mayberry and call Mount Pilot by the name it got derived from Pilot Mountain, NC? Though good connection between it all, still why make so much over so little?
Would Hill Valley be as iconic if it was tied to a real city? That would have certainly pigeonholed what the city could/could not have been creatively.
Quote from: roadman65 on April 22, 2022, 09:25:31 AMWhy so much fiction within reality?
(a) so no one can complain about how a particular town is being depicted
(b) it doesn't really matter
And, to credit the OP, Mayberry itself has become iconic in American culture. Heck, the word "Mayberryesque" returns 1850 hits on Google.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 22, 2022, 09:43:06 AM
Would Hill Valley be as iconic if it was tied to a real city? That would have certainly pigeonholed what the city could/could not have been creatively.
Always liked the inherent contradiction in "Hill Valley."
Springfield in The Simpsons can't be tied to any single state because of its ubiquity across the nation. As a matter of fact, animated series can (and do) get away with locations where the mountains meet the ocean, something that live-action TV shows and movies aren't able to pull off.
To prevent certain countries and cities from being offended from the shows and movies in question? I guess fictional cities and countries are to make the story more exciting.
I agree with the OP on this one:
The question isn't "why do they have a fictitious world that these characters live in" but more "why are there fictitious places intermingled with actual locations"
Why did Forrest Gump come from the fictitious town of Greenbow, Alabama, but Bubba came from the real Bayou La Batre, Alabama? I would understand if they wanted to keep it fictional to keep people from getting mad about how their town in depicted or making sure no one tries to find the Gumps there, and they just name checked Bayou La Batre, but they actually visited Bayou La Batre so it was left up to interpretation by the locals on how their town was depicted. The Forrest goes to New York, NY, Washington, DC, Monument Valley and Savannah, GA.
The series Virgin River takes place in the fictional Virgin River, CA, but one character makes a trip to Los Angeles.
I say, make it consistent. If you are going to have a fictional setting, keep it fictional. Don't have it co-exist with real things. If you want real other locations in the movie/show, make all the locations real. Your reasoning for making one setting fictional to avoid backlash about how it's depicted goes out the window when you actually visit a real location.
Hill Valley has made sense to me from day one. They film makers had the liberties to create a history of this town to fit whatever they needed since it was a time traveling movie.
I disagree. Having the main location be fictional makes the entire setting of the show a fictional world. However, having one-off trips or side-stories in real places helps anchor the show in whatever country or region it's supposed to be set in. That's actually one thing that bothers me about Green Acres: I never have a clear idea of what part of rural America it's supposed to be set in.
Quote from: kphoger on April 22, 2022, 11:28:36 AMThat's actually one thing that bothers me about Green Acres: I never have a clear idea of what part of rural America it's supposed to be set in.
Granted, I haven't watched an episode of
Green Acres in 30 years, but I just assumed it was in upstate NY. Didn't Oliver travel back to NYC regularly?
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 22, 2022, 11:23:50 AMWhy did Forrest Gump come from the fictitious town of Greenbow, Alabama, but Bubba came from the real Bayou La Batre, Alabama?
Greenbow was once the home of Nathan Bedford Forrest and, by the late 1940s/early 1950s, the schools were run by a corrupt man who agreed to enroll students who didn't meet their admissions criteria in exchange for sexual favors. Which town in Alabama would have agreed to be portrayed this way?
Hill Street Blues is one that manages to keep what major city the show is located unknown, but in a way you didn't care about the details. It featured real life police drama and character driven over plot driven which made you care about the world the characters lived rather than what they lived in.
Green Acres was made in such away that you never really wanted to know where Hooterville was and the fact is that they made the characters of the town so eccentric that you're glad that it is not part of real America. Plus they were able to do it where the same Hooterville in Petticoat Junction was that in Green Acres was to be portraited as two different types of towns in both sitcoms despite being in the same world.
Remember Hooterville did not have uninformed people in Petticoat's depiction of in which Green Acres had the same town feature all dim witted folks as citizens. Though writers forgot that Petticoat Junction was in the Beverly Hillbillies World and yet on Green Acres in one episode it was shown that Beverly Hillbillies was on their TV and the town folks did the TV show in a local production.
I'm talking mainly about Sheriff Buford T. Justice in Smokey and The Bandit. He should have been Sheriff of real Bowie County, TX being that the actual Texarkana was used. Instead they created Portague County for it to be in when why not go the whole nine yards. Plus the county Buford was law enforcement of was only referred to in the closing credits of the first movie where it was only assumed in the picture that he was Sheriff of the county that Texarkana, TX was. In actuality he was never in his own jurisdiction as it was to chase down a runaway bride that stood his son up on his wedding day across the entire south thus creating the love to hate relationship of Bandit and Buford for the rest of the run. Therefore to add the county in the credits was not needed. Just to give his character name was sufficient enough there.
Quote from: Rothman on April 22, 2022, 10:37:25 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 22, 2022, 09:43:06 AM
Would Hill Valley be as iconic if it was tied to a real city? That would have certainly pigeonholed what the city could/could not have been creatively.
Always liked the inherent contradiction in "Hill Valley."
All part of the fun when I took a serious look at where Hill Valley would be located in California:
https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/06/where-hell-is-hill-valley-us-route-8.html?m=1
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 22, 2022, 09:45:59 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 22, 2022, 09:25:31 AMWhy so much fiction within reality?
(a) so no one can complain about how a particular town is being depicted
(b) it doesn't really matter
During the time "Victorious" aired, some lady from the real-life North Ridge section of Los Angeles, complained that her daughter was upset about how North Ridge girls were depicted on the show. I never saw any other complaints about it.
Westport, Connecticut on the other hand wasn't too happy with how the women of their city were portrayed on "American Housewife."
Cities might not like how they're depicted or remembered in these shows, so skirting that by using a fictional name is just easier.
Though even then, if the background shots are strongly tied to a single area, the association can stick without the name (e.g. Twin Peaks and North Bend, WA).
Quote from: Bruce on April 22, 2022, 04:41:13 PM
Cities might not like how they're depicted or remembered in these shows, so skirting that by using a fictional name is just easier.
Though even then, if the background shots are strongly tied to a single area, the association can stick without the name (e.g. Twin Peaks and North Bend, WA).
And not only in shows and movies but in comic books as well, like in the world of DC comics like Gotham City in Batman, Metropolis in Superman althought there's a real town named Metropolis in Illinois as well as Franco-Belgian comics with countries like San Theodoros, Syldavia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syldavia), Borduria in the Adventures of Tintin, Palombia in Spirou and the Marsupilami and fictionnal western towns like Nothing Gulch in Lucky Luke.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 22, 2022, 09:45:59 AM(a) so no one can complain about how a particular town is being depicted
Staines hated
Da Ali G Show and sequels having the wanabee wanabee gangster celebrating the town where he comes from. It was a key driving force behind them renaming the town Staines-on-Thames to try and boost the reputation of the town as gentilee suburbia rather than a supposed slum (not understanding that it is the relatively gentilee suburbia that is why it was picked as the location for the show as that was part of the point of the character).
I don't think Slough was too happy with
The Office being set there as it was explicitly because the town's name invokes a dull and depressing place, but they've been used to it for years after the Betjeman poem
Come Friendly Bombs savaged the town's rep not long after it had the Trading Estate built in the 30s.
UK Soaps (which unlike their US counterparts tend to be gritty dramas with actors who look like ordinary people rather than models) tend to be set in fictional neighbourhoods of real cities to avoid slurring somewhere where real people live while also grounding it in a real city.
Quote from: Bruce on April 22, 2022, 04:41:13 PMThough even then, if the background shots are strongly tied to a single area, the association can stick without the name (e.g. Twin Peaks and North Bend, WA).
I live in an area where there's an awful lot of filming done. In part because there's several big studios not that far away. There's constant "here's the local filming locations from that new big show", but a lot of the time they wouldn't want the show to have been set here.
Midsummer Murders was filmed in the area, though is set in a fictional county a bit further west, IIRC and a big thing is made of it by the tourism agencies as there's so many locations to see. But if Midsummer was set in the area, the very opposite would be the case - the marketing saying that, actually, very few people are murdered around here...
Quote from: Bruce on April 22, 2022, 04:41:13 PM
Cities might not like how they're depicted or remembered in these shows, so skirting that by using a fictional name is just easier.
Though even then, if the background shots are strongly tied to a single area, the association can stick without the name (e.g. Twin Peaks and North Bend, WA).
Heh. For people outside of WA, Twin Peaks stuck with the state in general, given so few people really know North Bend.
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on April 22, 2022, 05:08:40 PM
Quote from: Bruce on April 22, 2022, 04:41:13 PM
Cities might not like how they're depicted or remembered in these shows, so skirting that by using a fictional name is just easier.
Though even then, if the background shots are strongly tied to a single area, the association can stick without the name (e.g. Twin Peaks and North Bend, WA).
And not only in shows and movies but in comic books as well, like in the world of DC comics like Gotham City in Batman, Metropolis in Superman althought there's a real town named Metropolis in Illinois as well as Franco-Belgian comics with countries like San Theodoros, Syldavia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syldavia), Borduria in the Adventures of Tintin, Palombia in Spirou and the Marsupilami and fictionnal western towns like Nothing Gulch in Lucky Luke.
Spider-Man...oh, wait.
Quote from: english si on April 22, 2022, 05:12:06 PM
I don't think Slough was too happy with The Office being set there as it was explicitly because the town's name invokes a dull and depressing place, but they've been used to it for years after the Betjeman poem Come Friendly Bombs savaged the town's rep not long after it had the Trading Estate built in the 30s.
What's fun here is my daughter's generation thinks coming from a city mentioned in the American version of The Office is a badge of honor...despite most of the satellite offices being in down-and-out places like Scranton (Stamford being something of an exception for contrast).
Quote from: Rothman on April 22, 2022, 05:38:36 PM
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on April 22, 2022, 05:08:40 PM
Quote from: Bruce on April 22, 2022, 04:41:13 PM
Cities might not like how they're depicted or remembered in these shows, so skirting that by using a fictional name is just easier.
Though even then, if the background shots are strongly tied to a single area, the association can stick without the name (e.g. Twin Peaks and North Bend, WA).
And not only in shows and movies but in comic books as well, like in the world of DC comics like Gotham City in Batman, Metropolis in Superman althought there's a real town named Metropolis in Illinois as well as Franco-Belgian comics with countries like San Theodoros, Syldavia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syldavia), Borduria in the Adventures of Tintin, Palombia in Spirou and the Marsupilami and fictionnal western towns like Nothing Gulch in Lucky Luke.
Spider-Man...oh, wait.
Marvel has a ton of fictional countries and cities. Madripoor as example keeps popping up in a lot of the recent Marvel Disney Plus shows.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 22, 2022, 05:44:58 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 22, 2022, 05:38:36 PM
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on April 22, 2022, 05:08:40 PM
Quote from: Bruce on April 22, 2022, 04:41:13 PM
Cities might not like how they're depicted or remembered in these shows, so skirting that by using a fictional name is just easier.
Though even then, if the background shots are strongly tied to a single area, the association can stick without the name (e.g. Twin Peaks and North Bend, WA).
And not only in shows and movies but in comic books as well, like in the world of DC comics like Gotham City in Batman, Metropolis in Superman althought there's a real town named Metropolis in Illinois as well as Franco-Belgian comics with countries like San Theodoros, Syldavia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syldavia), Borduria in the Adventures of Tintin, Palombia in Spirou and the Marsupilami and fictionnal western towns like Nothing Gulch in Lucky Luke.
Spider-Man...oh, wait.
Marvel has a ton of fictional countries and cities. Madripoor as example keeps popping up in a lot of the recent Marvel Disney Plus shows.
Spider-Man...oh, wait.
Quote from: Rothman on April 22, 2022, 05:47:35 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 22, 2022, 05:44:58 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 22, 2022, 05:38:36 PM
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on April 22, 2022, 05:08:40 PM
Quote from: Bruce on April 22, 2022, 04:41:13 PM
Cities might not like how they're depicted or remembered in these shows, so skirting that by using a fictional name is just easier.
Though even then, if the background shots are strongly tied to a single area, the association can stick without the name (e.g. Twin Peaks and North Bend, WA).
And not only in shows and movies but in comic books as well, like in the world of DC comics like Gotham City in Batman, Metropolis in Superman althought there's a real town named Metropolis in Illinois as well as Franco-Belgian comics with countries like San Theodoros, Syldavia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syldavia), Borduria in the Adventures of Tintin, Palombia in Spirou and the Marsupilami and fictionnal western towns like Nothing Gulch in Lucky Luke.
Spider-Man...oh, wait.
Marvel has a ton of fictional countries and cities. Madripoor as example keeps popping up in a lot of the recent Marvel Disney Plus shows.
Spider-Man...oh, wait.
Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Dr. Strange and Captain America are bunch of others I can think of off the top of my head with an NYC connection in pretty much every Marvel continuity.
If you don't make your show set in a real location, you don't have to do the research to make it accurate.
Otherwise, you run the risk of getting it hilariously wrong:
(https://i.imgur.com/SrsxKIv.png)
Oklahoma is flat.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 22, 2022, 06:10:44 PM
If you don't make your show set in a real location, you don't have to do the research to make it accurate.
Otherwise, you run the risk of getting it hilariously wrong:
(https://i.imgur.com/SrsxKIv.png)
That reminds me of "Rumble in the Bronx" set in New York but lots of scenes was filmed in Vancouver.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY4fajwS-Cg
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 22, 2022, 06:10:44 PM
If you don't make your show set in a real location, you don't have to do the research to make it accurate.
Otherwise, you run the risk of getting it hilariously wrong:
(https://i.imgur.com/SrsxKIv.png)
Looks right to me.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 22, 2022, 06:45:21 PM
Quote from: kphoger on April 22, 2022, 06:32:32 PM
Oklahoma is flat.
Only for the Klingons.
Alberta was a far better stand in for Oklahoma than I was expecting in Ghostbusters Afterlife.
I think you tend to see more shows based in larger real cities when they want to focus on the lifestyle and the personalities of a specific town or region. Shows based in fictitious towns are designed so viewers can subliminally associate the show with their Anytown, USA, despite the show actually referencing a specific state or region.
I briefly worked in a Podunk town that 100% had the Hooterville mentality, but it was nowhere near where Green Acres was inferring where THEIR Hooterville was located.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 22, 2022, 06:10:44 PM
If you don't make your show set in a real location, you don't have to do the research to make it accurate.
Otherwise, you run the risk of getting it hilariously wrong:
(https://i.imgur.com/SrsxKIv.png)
If you wanted to go a little farther south to Idabel, the terrain is more plausible.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 22, 2022, 06:10:44 PM
If you don't make your show set in a real location, you don't have to do the research to make it accurate.
Otherwise, you run the risk of getting it hilariously wrong:
(https://i.imgur.com/SrsxKIv.png)
How about not being a lazy film maker and actually do the research on your location? It's a pet peeve of mine. They have $300 million budgets and can't pay someone a $500 round trip plane ticket to go to the location and see what it's actually like?
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 24, 2022, 05:29:16 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 22, 2022, 06:10:44 PM
If you don't make your show set in a real location, you don't have to do the research to make it accurate.
Otherwise, you run the risk of getting it hilariously wrong:
(https://i.imgur.com/SrsxKIv.png)
How about not being a lazy film maker and actually do the research on your location? It's a pet peeve of mine. They have $300 million budgets and can't pay someone a $500 round trip plane ticket to go to the location and see what it's actually like?
Hell, at least call up the local Chamber of Commerce or the town library or someone like that and be like "Hey, can you look out the window and tell me what you see?"
It's worth noting that most of Broken Bow doesn't look like the image on the left. In fact, if the boundary on Google Maps is even remotely accurate, the image on the left wouldn't look like Broken Bow at all if they didn't annex a thin strip of land along US 259 and OK 259A specifically to get to the lake! Of course, this (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0116715,-94.7477239,3a,87.5y,349.3h,76.11t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sq3Bhg0kvgLzJKS-S5dEtug!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3Dq3Bhg0kvgLzJKS-S5dEtug%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D154.58994%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656) doesn't make as nice of a meme.
Still, though, most of Broken Bow doesn't look like the image on the right either. If you asked me to describe the Broken Bow area off the top of my head, I would say "hilly and forested". If you told me the image on the right was actually from somewhere in Oklahoma and asked me to guess where it was, I would say "I dunno...Grant County maybe?" Definitely not anywhere east of US-75.
You know what gets me is Dallas, using a fictional county to place the City of Dallas in. Everything was Braddock County and the County had its own business district.
I'm guessing is that if they used Plano in the show, they would have to pay out royalties to Plano and watch what they create in storylines not to make them look bad.
Then Walker Texas Ranger is one that has in its universe was having City of Dallas in neighboring Tarrant County instead of in Dallas County where ADA Alex Cahill was prosecuting Walkers collars that he collared in the Dallas City limits. That, even, not big a deal makes one wonder why they included both Metroplex cities in the same county.
Quote from: roadman65 on April 24, 2022, 09:14:23 PM
I'm guessing is that if they used Plano in the show, they would have to pay out royalties to Plano and watch what they create in storylines not to make them look bad.
Um...no, actually? You can't copyright the existence of a town, and the First Amendment exists, so there's no basis for royalties to be paid and no obligation to make Plano look good.
I know both examples are literature, but:
HP Lovecraft made a fictional city of Arkham, but it's surrounded by real cities and towns (and a few other fictional ones). https://www.deviantart.com/fghtan/art/Arkham-County-late-1920-s-Road-Atlas-399560715
Jack Kerouac wrote a book where a fictional city was very clearly intended to be Lowell MA, just renamed.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 24, 2022, 09:59:50 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 24, 2022, 09:14:23 PM
I'm guessing is that if they used Plano in the show, they would have to pay out royalties to Plano and watch what they create in storylines not to make them look bad.
Um...no, actually? You can't copyright the existence of a town, and the First Amendment exists, so there's no basis for royalties to be paid and no obligation to make Plano look good.
In the original Cars, the town of Radiator Springs and Carburetor County are presumed to be in AZ, because they show a map of Route 66 winding across it the same way it does/did in that part of the state, then add in I-40 when that highway is introduced, causing its predecessor to eventually disappear from the map, but later come back as an Historic route. This is an example of freedom to do anything creative as an homage to the actual towns that were located on it; in this case, they put automotive themes in the movie to make it all come together.
Quote from: Henry on April 25, 2022, 11:01:49 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 24, 2022, 09:59:50 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 24, 2022, 09:14:23 PM
I'm guessing is that if they used Plano in the show, they would have to pay out royalties to Plano and watch what they create in storylines not to make them look bad.
Um...no, actually? You can't copyright the existence of a town, and the First Amendment exists, so there's no basis for royalties to be paid and no obligation to make Plano look good.
In the original Cars, the town of Radiator Springs and Carburetor County are presumed to be in AZ, because they show a map of Route 66 winding across it the same way it does/did in that part of the state, then add in I-40 when that highway is introduced, causing its predecessor to eventually disappear from the map, but later come back as an Historic route. This is an example of freedom to do anything creative as an homage to the actual towns that were located on it; in this case, they put automotive themes in the movie to make it all come together.
Well that was because it was a completely separate universe from the Earth we live on. A universe where the cars are living beings yet still have rearview mirrors for some reason....
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 25, 2022, 11:44:31 AM
Quote from: Henry on April 25, 2022, 11:01:49 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 24, 2022, 09:59:50 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 24, 2022, 09:14:23 PM
I'm guessing is that if they used Plano in the show, they would have to pay out royalties to Plano and watch what they create in storylines not to make them look bad.
Um...no, actually? You can't copyright the existence of a town, and the First Amendment exists, so there's no basis for royalties to be paid and no obligation to make Plano look good.
In the original Cars, the town of Radiator Springs and Carburetor County are presumed to be in AZ, because they show a map of Route 66 winding across it the same way it does/did in that part of the state, then add in I-40 when that highway is introduced, causing its predecessor to eventually disappear from the map, but later come back as an Historic route. This is an example of freedom to do anything creative as an homage to the actual towns that were located on it; in this case, they put automotive themes in the movie to make it all come together.
Well that was because it was a completely separate universe from the Earth we live on. A universe where the cars are living beings yet still have rearview mirrors for some reason....
It's so they can drive backwards, duh.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 25, 2022, 11:46:29 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 25, 2022, 11:44:31 AM
Quote from: Henry on April 25, 2022, 11:01:49 AM
In the original Cars, the town of Radiator Springs and Carburetor County are presumed to be in AZ, because they show a map of Route 66 winding across it the same way it does/did in that part of the state, then add in I-40 when that highway is introduced, causing its predecessor to eventually disappear from the map, but later come back as an Historic route. This is an example of freedom to do anything creative as an homage to the actual towns that were located on it; in this case, they put automotive themes in the movie to make it all come together.
Well that was because it was a completely separate universe from the Earth we live on. A universe where the cars are living beings yet still have rearview mirrors for some reason....
It's so they can drive backwards, duh.
So... If Mater's rearview mirrors help him drive backwards, then why did he say...
Quote from: Mater
Ain't no need to watch where I'm going. Just need to know where I've been.
... ?
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 25, 2022, 11:46:29 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 25, 2022, 11:44:31 AM
Quote from: Henry on April 25, 2022, 11:01:49 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 24, 2022, 09:59:50 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 24, 2022, 09:14:23 PM
I'm guessing is that if they used Plano in the show, they would have to pay out royalties to Plano and watch what they create in storylines not to make them look bad.
Um...no, actually? You can't copyright the existence of a town, and the First Amendment exists, so there's no basis for royalties to be paid and no obligation to make Plano look good.
In the original Cars, the town of Radiator Springs and Carburetor County are presumed to be in AZ, because they show a map of Route 66 winding across it the same way it does/did in that part of the state, then add in I-40 when that highway is introduced, causing its predecessor to eventually disappear from the map, but later come back as an Historic route. This is an example of freedom to do anything creative as an homage to the actual towns that were located on it; in this case, they put automotive themes in the movie to make it all come together.
Well that was because it was a completely separate universe from the Earth we live on. A universe where the cars are living beings yet still have rearview mirrors for some reason....
It's so they can drive backwards, duh.
Well, the rearview mirrors are behind their eyes. It would do as much good as you having mirrors on your ears so you could see behind you.
Not to mention the cars have doors and seats. What happened to the people.......?
The one that really keeps me up at night: Cars and Planes take place in the same universe, yet cars can't see their instrument panel and planes can.
Vallejo, CA has been used for San Francisco and Oakland scenes.
Myth busters was filmed on Mare Island.
Vancouver, BC and Vallejo, CA have been some of the places where "San Francisco" and "Oakland" has been used in movies to get around the filming permits and expenses issues.
This is like Atlanta, Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix have been used to take the spot of "Los Angeles" to lower the costs of doing films in some places.
Toronto has been used too to take the place of New York and Chicago in Movies.
Quote from: abefroman329 on April 25, 2022, 12:46:37 PM
The one that really keeps me up at night: Cars and Planes take place in the same universe, yet cars can't see their instrument panel and planes can.
https://youtu.be/hJ7cxAUeZZw
The series version of In the Heat Of the Night was set in fictional Sparta, MS, but did made references to places like Jackson and Hattiesburg. There was an episode in which Chief Gillespie went to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The beach itself looked like it was filmed in California. There was even a mileage sign that was placed on the wrong side of the beach. If going from Gulfport to Pascagoula, the beach would be to the right. On the episode, the beach was on the left side of the screen.
Quote from: bing101 on April 25, 2022, 02:21:47 PM
This is like Atlanta, Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix have been used to take the spot of "Los Angeles" to lower the costs of doing films in some places.
Toronto has been used too to take the place of New York and Chicago in Movies.
That one cracks me up sometimes....There are so many low budget films that film mostly in southern California for whatever the real location is (they need a city, LA stands in, they need a dessert, they drive out past Coachella) yet some movies that are supposed to actually take place in Los Angeles, they use Atlanta as a stand in. I guess its because the low budget outfits "steal" shots around Los Angeles so they can use the location, but the bigger budget films have to do things the right way, so they try to not film in Los Angeles to keep down costs.
It's funny to me to see "Los Angeles" clearly having seasons.... :-D
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 25, 2022, 04:11:06 PM
Quote from: bing101 on April 25, 2022, 02:21:47 PM
This is like Atlanta, Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix have been used to take the spot of "Los Angeles" to lower the costs of doing films in some places.
Toronto has been used too to take the place of New York and Chicago in Movies.
That one cracks me up sometimes....There are so many low budget films that film mostly in southern California for whatever the real location is (they need a city, LA stands in, they need a dessert, they drive out past Coachella) yet some movies that are supposed to actually take place in Los Angeles, they use Atlanta as a stand in. I guess its because the low budget outfits "steal" shots around Los Angeles so they can use the location, but the bigger budget films have to do things the right way, so they try to not film in Los Angeles to keep down costs.
It's funny to me to see "Los Angeles" clearly having seasons.... :-D
I see it funny when a series like CSI:Miami would shoot scenes on both coasts (not counting scene transition shots of the beach, skylines, etc...) with most, if not all of, the cast members. Locations around the Long Beach, CA area were stand-ins for many urban "Miami" scenes and the alleged Miami-Dade CSI HQ.
Quote from: thenetwork on April 25, 2022, 11:17:17 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 25, 2022, 04:11:06 PM
Quote from: bing101 on April 25, 2022, 02:21:47 PM
This is like Atlanta, Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix have been used to take the spot of "Los Angeles" to lower the costs of doing films in some places.
Toronto has been used too to take the place of New York and Chicago in Movies.
That one cracks me up sometimes....There are so many low budget films that film mostly in southern California for whatever the real location is (they need a city, LA stands in, they need a dessert, they drive out past Coachella) yet some movies that are supposed to actually take place in Los Angeles, they use Atlanta as a stand in. I guess its because the low budget outfits "steal" shots around Los Angeles so they can use the location, but the bigger budget films have to do things the right way, so they try to not film in Los Angeles to keep down costs.
It's funny to me to see "Los Angeles" clearly having seasons.... :-D
I see it funny when a series like CSI:Miami would shoot scenes on both coasts (not counting scene transition shots of the beach, skylines, etc...) with most, if not all of, the cast members. Locations around the Long Beach, CA area were stand-ins for many urban "Miami" scenes and the alleged Miami-Dade CSI HQ.
To go one step further, what I was talking about is, but not limited to, the series Cobra Kai. It takes place in Los Angeles, but filmed in Atlanta. It's funny to see shots in the woods with trees that are changing colors and totally not trees that would ever grow in Los Angeles. Yet, if they visit a location from The Karate Kid, since that film was shot in Los Angeles, they have to film that location in Los Angeles. Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to film all of it in Los Angeles rather than shuttling half the cast and crew back and forth? I don't know
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 26, 2022, 11:30:08 AMTo go one step further, what I was talking about is, but not limited to, the series Cobra Kai. It takes place in Los Angeles, but filmed in Atlanta. It's funny to see shots in the woods with trees that are changing colors and totally not trees that would ever grow in Los Angeles. Yet, if they visit a location from The Karate Kid, since that film was shot in Los Angeles, they have to film that location in Los Angeles. Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to film all of it in Los Angeles rather than shuttling half the cast and crew back and forth? I don't know
I was surprised to learn that, since Daniel's auto dealership, the strip mall containing the first Cobra Kai dojo, and Johnny's apartment building sure looked like they were in, if not the San Fernando Valley, then Southern California.
Contrast that with other movies filmed in/near Atlanta:
Anchorman 2 had a scene clearly filmed outside Atlanta Motor Speedway,
Spider-Man: Homecoming had a scene allegedly taking place in a deli in Queens where you could see a MARTA bus roll past;
Black Panther's "Museum of Great Britain" was the High Museum of Art.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 26, 2022, 11:30:08 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on April 25, 2022, 11:17:17 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on April 25, 2022, 04:11:06 PM
Quote from: bing101 on April 25, 2022, 02:21:47 PM
This is like Atlanta, Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix have been used to take the spot of "Los Angeles" to lower the costs of doing films in some places.
Toronto has been used too to take the place of New York and Chicago in Movies.
That one cracks me up sometimes....There are so many low budget films that film mostly in southern California for whatever the real location is (they need a city, LA stands in, they need a dessert, they drive out past Coachella) yet some movies that are supposed to actually take place in Los Angeles, they use Atlanta as a stand in. I guess its because the low budget outfits "steal" shots around Los Angeles so they can use the location, but the bigger budget films have to do things the right way, so they try to not film in Los Angeles to keep down costs.
It's funny to me to see "Los Angeles" clearly having seasons.... :-D
I see it funny when a series like CSI:Miami would shoot scenes on both coasts (not counting scene transition shots of the beach, skylines, etc...) with most, if not all of, the cast members. Locations around the Long Beach, CA area were stand-ins for many urban "Miami" scenes and the alleged Miami-Dade CSI HQ.
To go one step further, what I was talking about is, but not limited to, the series Cobra Kai. It takes place in Los Angeles, but filmed in Atlanta. It's funny to see shots in the woods with trees that are changing colors and totally not trees that would ever grow in Los Angeles. Yet, if they visit a location from The Karate Kid, since that film was shot in Los Angeles, they have to film that location in Los Angeles. Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to film all of it in Los Angeles rather than shuttling half the cast and crew back and forth? I don't know
The most famous case of a movie taking place in "Los Angeles" is Lethal Weapon 4 where there's a car chase in Los Angeles but the scene is really filmed in Las Vegas on the I-215 freeway. The I-210 freeway got referenced in that scene.
https://cineleasestudios.com/film-mare-island-studio/
https://filmmareisland.com/
https://cineleasestudios.com/#studios
Turns out cinelease studios is a group that is a property management group that owns some of the TV/Movie/Internet studios around the USA.
Two of the studios this group owns are in Jersey City and Brooklyn to cover the New York scenes.
Three of them are in other parts of the USA. Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Vallejo have been used for filming locations.
This is probably how movies can get away with fictional locations. Pittsburgh I'm not so sure who it's supposed to fill in for in movies for now. Atlanta yes I can see Atlanta be a fill in for Los Angeles and other parts of the SouthEast US.
Vallejo, CA yes Mare Island is a fill in for San Francisco, Oakland, Napa. If one is filming in other parts of Solano County it could be used for "Central Valley" locations or Sacramento area suburbs.
Another example from literature: The Egg and I. I didn't even read the book (listen to the audiobook) until after I had driven back and forth regularly to Port Townsend and saw The Egg and I Road. Betty MacDonald doesn't mention any real cities between Seattle and Port Angeles, even though you can figure out where they are if you know the places, and Mrs. MacDonald had moved to Vashon Island by the time the book was published.
This Boy's Life claims to take place in "Chinook," Washington. That's because Tobias Wolf's stepfather was still alive when the book came out. However, he has his step-sister say very specifically that the school bus mileage between home and the school in Concrete was exactly 39 miles. If you go into Google Maps and plot a trip between Concrete High School and Diablo, it comes out to exactly 39 miles. The movie switches the home and the school cities, so that the characters can be shown casually walking around Downtown Concrete.
Quote from: bing101 on April 26, 2022, 12:39:25 PM
https://cineleasestudios.com/film-mare-island-studio/
https://filmmareisland.com/
https://cineleasestudios.com/#studios
Turns out cinelease studios is a group that is a property management group that owns some of the TV/Movie/Internet studios around the USA.
Two of the studios this group owns are in Jersey City and Brooklyn to cover the New York scenes.
Three of them are in other parts of the USA. Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Vallejo have been used for filming locations.
This is probably how movies can get away with fictional locations. Pittsburgh I'm not so sure who it's supposed to fill in for in movies for now. Atlanta yes I can see Atlanta be a fill in for Los Angeles and other parts of the SouthEast US.
Vallejo, CA yes Mare Island is a fill in for San Francisco, Oakland, Napa. If one is filming in other parts of Solano County it could be used for "Central Valley" locations or Sacramento area suburbs.
Pittsburgh has stood in for Detroit and other Rust Belt cities, which makes perfect sense, given their decline since their chief industries began to struggle in recent years.
Here is some of Lethal Weapon 4's Las Vegas Locations.
Quote from: Henry on April 22, 2022, 10:50:06 AM
Springfield in The Simpsons can't be tied to any single state because of its ubiquity across the nation. As a matter of fact, animated series can (and do) get away with locations where the mountains meet the ocean, something that live-action TV shows and movies aren't able to pull off.
Family Guy changed that up a little: it's given a fictional location but in a much more specific location.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 01, 2022, 09:23:25 AM
Quote from: Henry on April 22, 2022, 10:50:06 AM
Springfield in The Simpsons can't be tied to any single state because of its ubiquity across the nation. As a matter of fact, animated series can (and do) get away with locations where the mountains meet the ocean, something that live-action TV shows and movies aren't able to pull off.
Family Guy changed that up a little: it's given a fictional location but in a much more specific location.
And for those who don't watch FG (or watch it that closely), it's suggested to be a suburb of Providence, Rhode Island.
https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?locations=Vallejo,%20California,%20USA
https://www.visitvallejo.com/film-office/solano-county-feature-film-history
The history of Solano County being used as a stand in for the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley.
Surprised no one talked about SpongeBob, owing to his birthday yesterday.
Bikini Bottom is based on Bikini Atoll, a chain of islands (archipelago) in the Pacific.
FULL ARTICLE HERE
https://spongebob.fandom.com/wiki/Bikini_Atoll (https://spongebob.fandom.com/wiki/Bikini_Atoll)
Quote from: snowc on May 02, 2022, 11:54:58 AM
Surprised no one talked about SpongeBob, owing to his birthday yesterday.
oh really
Also, his birthday wasn't yesterday. It's July 14.
(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/992/034/bc0.jpg)
Quote from: kphoger on May 02, 2022, 12:00:58 PM
Quote from: snowc on May 02, 2022, 11:54:58 AM
Surprised no one talked about SpongeBob, owing to his birthday yesterday.
oh really
Also, his birthday wasn't yesterday. It's July 14.
(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/992/034/bc0.jpg)
I'm talking about the show, not himself. July 14 is two months away. :D
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 01, 2022, 03:09:51 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 01, 2022, 09:23:25 AM
Quote from: Henry on April 22, 2022, 10:50:06 AM
Springfield in The Simpsons can't be tied to any single state because of its ubiquity across the nation. As a matter of fact, animated series can (and do) get away with locations where the mountains meet the ocean, something that live-action TV shows and movies aren't able to pull off.
Family Guy changed that up a little: it's given a fictional location but in a much more specific location.
And for those who don't watch FG (or watch it that closely), it's suggested to be a suburb of Providence, Rhode Island.
RI is a very small state, so it only makes sense that Quahog become a suburb of Providence.
In King of the Hill, it's been suggested that Arlen, TX, could be a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, given that Hank is a Cowboys and Rangers fan; it may have been based off Arlington, a real suburb with a similar-sounding name, as well as other cities around the state.
Quote from: Henry on May 02, 2022, 12:46:17 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 01, 2022, 03:09:51 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 01, 2022, 09:23:25 AM
Quote from: Henry on April 22, 2022, 10:50:06 AM
Springfield in The Simpsons can't be tied to any single state because of its ubiquity across the nation. As a matter of fact, animated series can (and do) get away with locations where the mountains meet the ocean, something that live-action TV shows and movies aren't able to pull off.
Family Guy changed that up a little: it's given a fictional location but in a much more specific location.
And for those who don't watch FG (or watch it that closely), it's suggested to be a suburb of Providence, Rhode Island.
RI is a very small state, so it only makes sense that Quahog become a suburb of Providence.
In King of the Hill, it's been suggested that Arlen, TX, could be a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, given that Hank is a Cowboys and Rangers fan; it may have been based off Arlington, a real suburb with a similar-sounding name, as well as other cities around the state.
It was Garland that Arlen was based on.
I think the show was intended for the town to be like a DFW suburb, but it was also supposed to be a town by itself seeing how a trip to Dallas in season 1 was a day trip (a few hours one way) and not driving from a suburb.
The old Disney movie Pete's Dragon takes place in the fictional New England coastal town of Passamaquoddy. There is a real bay by that name, where Maine meets New Brunswick, but no actual town by that name.
The Buccaneers play in the fictional town of Tampa Bay. :-D
Quote from: kphoger on May 02, 2022, 01:06:28 PM
The old Disney movie Pete's Dragon takes place in the fictional New England coastal town of Passamaquoddy. There is a real bay by that name, where Maine meets New Brunswick, but no actual town by that name.
Passama-what?
Besides avoiding the possibility of offending the friendly folk in a real town, another reason might be to prevent having people flock there to see for their very selves what they saw on TV. (How many people over the past 40 years have visited the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston solely because it was used for the exterior shots for Cheers?)
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Besides avoiding the possibility of offending the friendly folk in a real town, another reason might be to prevent having people flock there to see for their very selves what they saw on TV. (How many people over the past 40 years have visited the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston solely because it was used for the exterior shots for Cheers?)
Or maybe sometimes they like the little bump in tourism; provided those additional tourists aren't douchebags throwing pizzas on people's roofs and stuff.
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
Would using a real area code and an exchange beginning with 0 or 1 work, is it as noticeable as 555, or would it cause problems with people trying to call it?
WZAZ is the most common fictional radio and TV call letters ever.
Then that swinging kitchen door in all the old sitcoms. Really? Does anyone have them at all in their homes.
Quote from: roadman65 on May 04, 2022, 11:15:12 AM
WZAZ is the most common fictional radio and TV call letters ever.
Then that swinging kitchen door in all the old sitcoms. Really? Does anyone have them at all in their homes.
Oh don't forget about WBOR in Garfield and Friends. The guy who runs it is like Mr. Goodmon from WRAL.
More info be obtained below, about WBOR in the TV Series.
https://garfield.fandom.com/wiki/WBOR (https://garfield.fandom.com/wiki/WBOR)
FULL ARTICLE ABOVE
Quote from: roadman65 on May 04, 2022, 11:15:12 AM
Then that swinging kitchen door in all the old sitcoms. Really? Does anyone have them at all in their homes.
Every Sunday evening, we have church small group in a house with this type of swinging kitchen doors. Does that count?
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71nYe1dCAFL._AC_SY679_.jpg)
Quote from: kphoger on May 04, 2022, 11:56:39 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on May 04, 2022, 11:15:12 AM
Then that swinging kitchen door in all the old sitcoms. Really? Does anyone have them at all in their homes.
Every Sunday evening, we have church small group in a house with this type of swinging kitchen doors. Does that count?
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71nYe1dCAFL._AC_SY679_.jpg)
I think he means the single-panel kind, and I think the reason you see them so much is the fact that they're good for keeping what may not actually be, say, the kitchen out of sight.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
Because it only works for as long as the phone's number is active. Numbers can be recycled after about six months of being cancelled. The producers are not going to keep paying for a phone number not in use.
It sucks for all those whose phone number was 867-5309.
Quote from: skluth on May 04, 2022, 12:05:01 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
Because it only works for as long as the phone's number is active. Numbers can be recycled after about six months of being cancelled. The producers are not going to keep paying for a phone number not in use.
It sucks for all those whose phone number was 867-5309.
Doubly worse for all those whose phone number was 867-5309 and they were named Jenny.
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 04, 2022, 12:00:13 PM
Quote from: kphoger on May 04, 2022, 11:56:39 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on May 04, 2022, 11:15:12 AM
Then that swinging kitchen door in all the old sitcoms. Really? Does anyone have them at all in their homes.
Every Sunday evening, we have church small group in a house with this type of swinging kitchen doors. Does that count?
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71nYe1dCAFL._AC_SY679_.jpg)
I think he means the single-panel kind, and I think the reason you see them so much is the fact that they're good for keeping what may not actually be, say, the kitchen out of sight.
My grandparents had one.
Quote from: skluth on May 04, 2022, 12:05:01 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
Because it only works for as long as the phone's number is active. Numbers can be recycled after about six months of being cancelled. The producers are not going to keep paying for a phone number not in use.
It sucks for all those whose phone number was 867-5309.
Why not? it can be a number for one of those stupid Spectrum bundles. Or if its a cell phone, give it to an intern and have them deal with it. lol
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
I don't understand the annoyance. Keeps things a lot simpler for getting a movie together.
Then again, Ghostbusters (1984) had a marketing campaign where you could call a number and "talk" to Janine.
Quote from: skluth on May 04, 2022, 12:05:01 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
Because it only works for as long as the phone's number is active. Numbers can be recycled after about six months of being cancelled. The producers are not going to keep paying for a phone number not in use.
It sucks for all those whose phone number was 867-5309.
Or they can turn it into a hotline dedicated to the movie. The Simpsons did it twice. Homer and Lisa mentioned an email in respective episodes and the folks with the show set up an email with that account and some intern would respond as those characters. Homer mentioned a website dedicated to him and they opened that website. I don't think there was much on it, but it wasn't that hard to make it so no one gets bombarded with fan calls.
Quote from: Rothman on May 04, 2022, 12:21:59 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
I don't understand the annoyance. Keeps things a lot simpler for getting a movie together.
Then again, Ghostbusters (1984) had a marketing campaign where you could call a number and "talk" to Janine.
It annoys me because I know 555 is the universal movie scapegoat number, so when I hear it in the movie, it takes me out of the movie and puts me back in reality. Put a recording on the real number and call it a day. You can keep paying it when the movie makes a crap ton of money.
To me its in the same vein of the camera shaking during an explosion or shaking while a character runs or water gets on the lenses on a water shot (not by accident, but intentionally to make it "real"). When that happens, at least to me, it reminds me that there is a camera man and he is filming actors making a movie and not me just observing real action.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 12:30:08 PM
Quote from: Rothman on May 04, 2022, 12:21:59 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
I don't understand the annoyance. Keeps things a lot simpler for getting a movie together.
Then again, Ghostbusters (1984) had a marketing campaign where you could call a number and "talk" to Janine.
It annoys me because I know 555 is the universal movie scapegoat number, so when I hear it in the movie, it takes me out of the movie and puts me back in reality. Put a recording on the real number and call it a day. You can keep paying it when the movie makes a crap ton of money.
To me its in the same vein of the camera shaking during an explosion or shaking while a character runs or water gets on the lenses on a water shot (not by accident, but intentionally to make it "real"). When that happens, at least to me, it reminds me that there is a camera man and he is filming actors making a movie and not me just observing real action.
I don't see why it's a big deal. Think of it like all those shows that start "The names were changed to protect the innocent" expanded to include phone numbers. Or maybe you could volunteer your phone number to shows set in your area so producers can use a real number if it upsets you so much.
For the sake of accuracy, I should point out that only 555-0100 through 555-0199 are actually reserved for fictional use. Providers are allowed to assign any of the other 555- numbers if they so choose (except for unique ones like 555-1212, which is already in use as directory information). I'm not sure if any of them actually have, but they could.
555- was an easy choice to reserve for such purposes, as it was very rarely used back when telephone exchanges were named rather than numbered. For example, a phone number in the Madison central office might have begun with MA- or MAD-, which–after the 1950s–would have later changed to 62- or 626-. But the 5 key on a telephone corresponds to the letters J-K-L. How many names can you think of that begin with any two-letter combination of J, K, or L? I bet not very many. One possibility is Klondike, which is why that is used as a fictitious exchange for shows set in the time before telephone exchanges went numeric.
The image below actually shows a phone number that I'm pretty sure could theoretically exist today, as I'm not aware that 555-3226 has ever been reserved for special or fictional use.
(https://i.imgur.com/5OCopwM.jpg)
Quote from: skluth on May 04, 2022, 12:40:57 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 12:30:08 PM
Quote from: Rothman on May 04, 2022, 12:21:59 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
I don't understand the annoyance. Keeps things a lot simpler for getting a movie together.
Then again, Ghostbusters (1984) had a marketing campaign where you could call a number and "talk" to Janine.
It annoys me because I know 555 is the universal movie scapegoat number, so when I hear it in the movie, it takes me out of the movie and puts me back in reality. Put a recording on the real number and call it a day. You can keep paying it when the movie makes a crap ton of money.
To me its in the same vein of the camera shaking during an explosion or shaking while a character runs or water gets on the lenses on a water shot (not by accident, but intentionally to make it "real"). When that happens, at least to me, it reminds me that there is a camera man and he is filming actors making a movie and not me just observing real action.
I don't see why it's a big deal. Think of it like all those shows that start "The names were changed to protect the innocent" expanded to include phone numbers. Or maybe you could volunteer your phone number to shows set in your area so producers can use a real number if it upsets you so much.
I'm down with that. I am pretty good at ignoring calls from phone numbers I don't recognize.
The other question I have on this topic is what kind of people immediately race to a phone an dial a number from a movie? This existed back in the 80s too when movies were on the big screen and recording stuff on VHS was a bit rarer, so rewinding to get the correct number was less of an option. So they had to hear it in real time and remember it when the movie was over to call, or they went running out of the theater just to call that number. Me, I have better things to do with my life.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 01:10:27 PM
Quote from: skluth on May 04, 2022, 12:40:57 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 12:30:08 PM
Quote from: Rothman on May 04, 2022, 12:21:59 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
I don't understand the annoyance. Keeps things a lot simpler for getting a movie together.
Then again, Ghostbusters (1984) had a marketing campaign where you could call a number and "talk" to Janine.
It annoys me because I know 555 is the universal movie scapegoat number, so when I hear it in the movie, it takes me out of the movie and puts me back in reality. Put a recording on the real number and call it a day. You can keep paying it when the movie makes a crap ton of money.
To me its in the same vein of the camera shaking during an explosion or shaking while a character runs or water gets on the lenses on a water shot (not by accident, but intentionally to make it "real"). When that happens, at least to me, it reminds me that there is a camera man and he is filming actors making a movie and not me just observing real action.
I don't see why it's a big deal. Think of it like all those shows that start "The names were changed to protect the innocent" expanded to include phone numbers. Or maybe you could volunteer your phone number to shows set in your area so producers can use a real number if it upsets you so much.
I'm down with that. I am pretty good at ignoring calls from phone numbers I don't recognize.
The other question I have on this topic is what kind of people immediately race to a phone an dial a number from a movie? This existed back in the 80s too when movies were on the big screen and recording stuff on VHS was a bit rarer, so rewinding to get the correct number was less of an option. So they had to hear it in real time and remember it when the movie was over to call, or they went running out of the theater just to call that number. Me, I have better things to do with my life.
Heh. Youngin'.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 11:00:46 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 02, 2022, 01:58:52 PM
Similar reason for the creation of the fictitious 555 telephone number prefix.
This annoys me. Not only does it take me out of the movie when a character gives a number of 555, but why can't the producers of the movie go down to the local AT&T store, buy a phone with a number in it with the unique area code to the setting of the film, use that number in the dialogue of the film, throw the phone in the closet and never answer it! Problem solved! No one gets annoyed to death and the film feels very real to the people who live in the area code the number is based in. Again with multi-millions of dollars in their budget, they can't go to the store and buy a phone and plan that me as a hundredare does as well?
Even better yet: A Cute
Star Trek: Picard Easter Egg Lets You Get Berated by Q (https://gizmodo.com/star-trek-picard-easter-egg-q-phone-number-1848737355)
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 01:10:27 PM
The other question I have on this topic is what kind of people immediately race to a phone an dial a number from a movie?
The same people who call Long John Silver's and order a pizza. The same people who call Applebee's and ask if they have escorts for hire. The same people who call a grocery store and ask if they have Prince Albert in a can.
You know, high schoolers.
Quote from: kphoger on May 04, 2022, 01:24:26 PM
The same people who call Applebee's and ask if they have escorts for hire.
So Applebee's doesn't have escorts? Taking note.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 01:10:27 PM
The other question I have on this topic is what kind of people immediately race to a phone an dial a number from a movie?
It's not only from the movies. Charles Schulz once used a telephone number in a
Peanuts comic strip that, unknown to him, was a real number for a family in Illinois. In his
The Straight Dope newspaper column, Cecil Adams noted "over 50 calls, ranging from plaintive requests to speak to Snoopy to less plaintive requests of a considerably darker nature, were logged in one evening."
Quote from: triplemultiplex on May 03, 2022, 04:23:02 PM
Or maybe sometimes they like the little bump in tourism; provided those additional tourists aren't douchebags throwing pizzas on people's roofs and stuff.
That's a very big "provided."
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 05, 2022, 12:09:25 AM
less plaintive requests of a considerably darker nature, were logged in one evening."
Now I gots to know!
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 12:24:24 PM
Or they can turn it into a hotline dedicated to the movie. The Simpsons did it twice. Homer and Lisa mentioned an email in respective episodes and the folks with the show set up an email with that account and some intern would respond as those characters. Homer mentioned a website dedicated to him and they opened that website. I don't think there was much on it, but it wasn't that hard to make it so no one gets bombarded with fan calls.
The folks at The Simpsons set up an actual website when they had a scene where Lisa looks up something on "whatbadgerseat.com"
It actually had real information on it about the dietary habits of badgers. It was active for many years after the episode aired; even still intact by the time season 12 came out on DVD.
With the recent discussion about area codes in this thread, whatbadgerseat.com is, coincidentally, from the episode where Springfield is divided over the introduction of a new area code.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 05, 2022, 10:59:22 AM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on May 05, 2022, 12:09:25 AM
less plaintive requests of a considerably darker nature, were logged in one evening."
Now I gots to know!
Oh, you know...just crazy cat people wondering about the lack of pussies in the comic strip?
Quote from: triplemultiplex on May 05, 2022, 02:47:54 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on May 04, 2022, 12:24:24 PM
Or they can turn it into a hotline dedicated to the movie. The Simpsons did it twice. Homer and Lisa mentioned an email in respective episodes and the folks with the show set up an email with that account and some intern would respond as those characters. Homer mentioned a website dedicated to him and they opened that website. I don't think there was much on it, but it wasn't that hard to make it so no one gets bombarded with fan calls.
The folks at The Simpsons set up an actual website when they had a scene where Lisa looks up something on "whatbadgerseat.com"
It actually had real information on it about the dietary habits of badgers. It was active for many years after the episode aired; even still intact by the time season 12 came out on DVD.
With the recent discussion about area codes in this thread, whatbadgerseat.com is, coincidentally, from the episode where Springfield is divided over the introduction of a new area code.
Because it was made in 1999, the fake website wdkk?.com from
Magnolia didn't exist (it's not even a valid URL), but if you called the phone number for "Seduce and Destroy," you'd get a message recorded by Frank T.J. Mackey.