We all know that one person who can't get enough of movie trivia, especially when it has to do with movie locations. They like to know the cities movies were filmed in, the time of year filming took place, and oh so much more. While the rest of us see a movie location as nothing more than the backdrop to a movie we watch, these folks see locations as another character on the big screen, and it's this reason alone that maybe the rest of us may need to rethink how we see movie locations all together.

For the most part, movies are really made up of a strong story. In fact, that's what carries the film from beginning to end. We all remember our English classes from high school. As we broke down the parts of a story, even the most basic story had to have a solid start, good run in the middle, and an ending that brought everything together. Sure, there were variations here and there, but for the most part, that's all you really needed. Movies take this basic structure and take it up a notch. OK, technically they take it up quite a number of notches and really hash out some pretty intricate story-telling. The best movies suck the viewer in and leave them almost breathless because of the compelling way they keep the action going.

But have you ever stopped and thought about how exactly a movie location helps this happen? Have you really thought about your favorite movies and wondered what they'd be like if you decided to shift their setting even slightly? Things start to get really interesting, and this is why movie locations matter so much. Even before one frame of a movie is shot, there are people scouting locations all over the world, trying to find the right place to help tell the story.

If you consider yourself a movie fan but have never really thought about movie locations in any depth before, here are a few things to think about:

Can Become Iconic ⏤ Look back at the Golden Age of Hollywood, and you'll see some absolutely amazing movies shot in locations that'll almost drop you to your knees because of their beauty. In some ways, the background of these films is as important as the dialogue.



Stand-In for Other Places ⏤ Quirky as it may seem, sometimes a movie location may be used in place for another location. For example, you may be seeing what's being called Detroit, but keen eyes will recognize the infrastructure as downtown Dallas.

Make or Break ⏤ It's true: botch the movie location for a film, and it's toast. It's only one of many elements of the story you're trying to tell, but it's a big one. Mess it up, and you're sunk.

Let's go back to the example of our English classes and idea of what makes a story worth reading. Perhaps the one element we often forgot to include in our breakdown were settings, which is essentially what movie locations are. They tend to be the forgotten character of the best stories ever told. So, the next time you sit down and watch a movie, think about the location of the film and what that particular element brings to the table in terms of the power of the story. It'll make you love movies in a whole new way.








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