Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2020 May 9

= May 9 =

WTC site in films
Do you happen to know films that shot in the WTC site in lower Manhattan prior to the construction of the twin towers? 46.116.31.193 (talk) 07:48, 9 May 2020 (UTC)
 * Starting with the World Trade Center (1973–2001) article, we find that the area was called Radio Row, so a Google question could be "movies filmed on radio row in new york" or some such. Bearing in mind that in the old days especially, scenes set in New York City were often shot on Hollywood studio backlots. (And not just oldies, either. Seinfeld city street scenes were likewise done on a backlot.) ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 16:02, 9 May 2020 (UTC)
 * List of films set in New York City may be a good place to start looking for ideas. -- Jayron 32 12:49, 11 May 2020 (UTC)
 * I wonder what percentage of those are actually Toronto? Matt Deres (talk) 15:14, 11 May 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes, the question was about where the scenes were shot, not where they are set. --76.71.5.208 (talk) 19:14, 11 May 2020 (UTC)


 * If your interest is primarily in seeing what those locations looked like, films might not be your best choice. As stated above, NYC is often "faked" by using studio lots or other cities due to budget considerations. Other sources you might consider would be local news or TV programs. The, as now, sometimes those backdrops were also "faked", but you'd at least be more likely to quickly determine that (Chroma key "green screening" has come a long way since then). Matt Deres (talk) 15:51, 11 May 2020 (UTC)
 * Fake backdrops go back to the very beginning of cinema; the use of matte painting dates to the first decade of the 1900s in film, which adopted the practice from live theater; this is unsurprising as many early narrative films were adaptations of theater productions; even early works created wholly for the screen adopted many of the conventions of theater. -- Jayron 32 18:43, 11 May 2020 (UTC)


 * We do have this Category:Films shot in New York City which is a bit more helpful than the "set in NYC" list. MarnetteD&#124;Talk 19:37, 11 May 2020 (UTC)
 * This is a video of Radio Row show in 1929. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 20:49, 12 May 2020 (UTC)


 * Godspell (film) has a scene shot on top of the WTC when it was close to completing construction. Reportedly Lady Liberty (film) also shows the WTC, and that would have been when it was at an earlier stage of construction, but I haven't confirmed that myself. --Metropolitan90 (talk) 01:01, 16 May 2020 (UTC)