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MyrnaLynne: Since you posted at the end of the last thread, I'll bring those over. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Originally posted by MyrnaLynne:
Here's my story from 2000, when we toured Paramount and saw the Roswell sets:
"Even that early in the morning, it was HOT and sunny. Waited for the approximately 68 other people in the Roswell group (the first of many waves of tours all day long). Watched the employees drive through the gates to work at Paramount – hoping some of them would be Roswell actors! But somebody said the actors etc. drive in through a different gate. Still – hope springs eternal! The staff at Paramount was great, very energetic, efficient, friendly etc.
The person who organized the group tour had told people we wouldn't tour the Roswell sets and no photographs were allowed. She got up and announced good news – we COULD visit the Roswell sets – but still, no photos. We were all ecstatic! We followed our tour guide and were given an expert tour of the studio, its history, the various departments, etc.
Then we got to the soundstage where Roswell is filmed, and the tour guide said, "Take pictures of anything you like!" Woo hoo! We went crazy! Everyone was oo-ing and ahhing and squealing! First we entered and a level below, down some steps, was the area that serves as the outdoor eating patio (where Isabel burned her mouth on the pizza and Tess came along); and the round holes up above that various people including Michael had peered through on occasion. There were 'trees' down there – it was very detailed and realistic.
We went into the Roswell High set – amazing, just like being inside a real school! People were taking photos of EVERYTHING – the candy machine, the corner where Max 'hid behind the tree,' the classroom! (no lab bench in there though – sorry!), the office – we went into the boys bathroom set (sinks and toilets etc. were removed) and somebody sat up on the counter just like Max had done waiting for Michael (and his black eye) to come out.
The most amazing was the Crashdown itself – Those famous doors! The booths – it was just a perfect, 3-dimensional, totally realistic restaurant (only with no ceiling to allow for lights, microphones, etc. – but there were lamps!) – the swinging door with the diamond-shaped pane of glass led to the lockers and the little staff lounge, and the stairway up to the Evans' apartment (where Dad looked down and thought he saw Maria 'selling Liz drugs') – only there is no "upstairs" – at least not on that soundstage (other tour groups saw the bedroom sets and Michael's apartment, but we didn't see that). And to the left of the locker area, was the kitchen! Where Michael burns those burgers – where those strawberries... fell on the floor! oh my! I shot a roll of film in about 20 minutes, and Provence kindly lent me an extra roll – I finished the second roll before I even left the Crashdown! LOL! The Crashdown was amazing. All the details – the customer checks at the cash register, the weird alien art on the walls – Everything!
The funny thing was, the spaceship over the door was missing – just sortof a plywood silhouette behind it – because they had trucked it out to Covina to hang on the Crashdown building out there (I guess)! Also interesting, across the street from the Crashdown is a huge diorama photograph of the view across the street in Covina – the shops, the car parked (? Tess's broken down car) etc. It is very very realistic! A huge photomural.
I saw the 'shoot-through' locker with no back, where they film stuff like Maria finding the napkin holder, etc. Oh, it was so amazing. Saw a bulletin board in a hallway that had school photos tacked up of various W. Roswell High students – and among them were several photos of the long-haired Jason Katims! LOL! Too funny! You could imagine how such a beautiful, realistic, and detailed set helped the actors in their performance, as it was truly like a 'real place.' The soundstages are enormous soaring gigantic buildings."
That's just one part of the story. I'll post more later! Sad thing is, since 9/11, Paramount Studios decided to stop giving their tours, for security reasons. Very sad! It's a wonderful place!
[ 07-07-2003: Message edited *Vicki* ]
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