Surreal Life: Evolution of the TV Talk Show Set, 1964 to Present
The evolution of the TV talk show set only lightly mirrors design changes that were going on in the rest of the world […]
Category: Simulated Places
Movie sets, trainers, simulators, fake cities, etc.
5 Best Fake Cities in the World
Fake cities exist for many reasons: training, propaganda, subterfuge, filming, tourism. Few are meant to be 100% realistic, but some are definitely […]
Planet of the Apes (1968) Set Design
Depicting a harsh and dystopian world (at least for the humans), “Planet of the Apes” has become an unlikely film franchise spanning […]
Tiki Torch: See How This Icon of Mid-Century Polynesian Pop Culture Started
The Tiki Torch is both older and newer than you might think. It’s newer in the sense that the tiki torch–or let’s […]
3 Best Eiffel Tower Replicas in the World
Everyone loves the actual Eiffel Tower so much, some builders have found it worthwhile to build Eiffel Tower replicas. This iron structure […]
Hogan’s Heroes Set at 40 Acres Backlot: Then and Now
Sure, the Cuningham Group of Culver City, CA-based architects may try to blow smoke in our direction with such slogans as “We […]
Mountain in the Middle of L.A.: Paramount Studios’ Western Street and Its Fake Mountain
Once there was a mountain in the middle of Los Angeles. Most movie studios, in their backlots or in movie ranches in […]
Fake Nazi Training “Village” at Camp Hood, Texas (1940s)
In the 1940s, Camp Hood in Killeen, TX built a fake Nazi training village for hand to hand combat. These stills from […]
The Day Mission: Impossible Invaded The Brady Bunch House
One of the best things about fictional environments is that we can project our dreams on them. And kids of the 1970s […]
Photo-Realistic Transparent Movie Set Backdrop, 1950
For most of movie history, set backdrops had been opaque (non-transparent) sheets of fabric stitched together to form larger, set-sized sheets. In […]