Movie Magic
(2 minute read)
Back in February, Vista got the chance to travel to France—from the comfort of our own office. Thanks to movie magic from the folks at Universal, the bocce ball court in front of Vista headquarters was transformed into a flower market set in Nice for the upcoming movie, Pitch Perfect 3.
We had a front row seat to the workings of the film industry that’s taken hold in the Peach State, particularly in the city of Atlanta. Georgia currently is ranked third in the nation behind California and New York for film production, with the film industry having an economic impact in GA of more than $7 billion in FY16. The movie & TV business has been flocking to the state since 2008 when the 30% tax credit was introduced.
Pitch Perfect 3 actually wasn't the first time that Glenwood Park was scouted for movie filming. In 2015 Melissa McCarthy’s The Boss, set in Chicago, took over an entire street to film and in 2011, Hall Passand Owen Wilson used the coffee shop, Drip, as their Rhode Island setting. With it's new urban design and architecture, Glenwood Park can easily be dressed as a different place—from Illinois to France.
If you’ve never had the chance to see the process that goes into filming on location, we’d like to share our experience with you.
Quiet on the set. And….action!
GLENWOOD PARK COURTYARD AS IT TYPICALLY LOOKS.
THE FIRST SET DECORATION BEGINS—ADDING LEAVES TO THE TREES WITH TWIST TIES.
THE VISTA OFFICE RECEIVED A MAKEOVER.
BEGINNING TO CREATE THE MARKET, STARTING WITH BRIGHT STRIPED TENTS.
PRODUCTS FOR THE MARKET, LIKE THESE REAL VEGETABLES, BEGIN TO BE ORGANIZED.
THE FLOWERS HAVE ARRIVED AND SIGNS IN FRENCH ARE PUT UP.
POSTERS ARE HUNG INSIDE OF VISTA'S OFFICE.
VISTA BECOMES A BALLET STUDIO.
ADDING THE FINAL TOUCHES BEFORE SHOOTING BEGINS—INCLUDING THIS LIGHT DIFFUSER ABOVE THE SET.
THE 200+ EXTRAS ARE IN PLACE, SHOPPING AT THE MARKET WHILE SCENES ARE FILMED.
ACTRESS REBEL WILSON (BLONDE HAIR) FILMING A SCENE WITH ACTOR JOHN LITHGOW (IN THE HAT) NEAR THE END OF THE DAY.
And that’s a wrap!
As soon as the last scene wrapped, the actors headed back to their trailers and the design team immediately began breaking down the set. Signs were taken down, tents packed away. Even the trees were relieved of their twist-tie leaves. Vista got to contribute to the set breakdown as well—they let residents and visitors of Glenwood Park take the set flowers home with them.
Within two days, the courtyard was restored to it’s original state as if nothing had changed at all—the magic of the film industry.