*Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/fbtHV94f-bA*

5 Iconic, Irreplaceable Filming Locations

by Devin Caldwell

A lot of filming is done on sets and backlots, many of which are dismantled almost as soon as filming ends. However, there are certain things that cannot be recreated on a soundstage. Sweeping vistas, iconic streets and irreplaceable grand homes make up an important part of many of the most recognizable films. Here are just a few iconic filming locations used by countless directors over the years.

Washington DC

Cities are notoriously difficult to film in. The locals hate it, because it messes up the traffic patterns, it's difficult to control sounds and background noise and getting all the necessary permits can be a real hassle. That said, cities are often iconic, especially capitals. Perhaps no capital city is more iconic than Washington DC. From it's world-famous government buildings to its well known museums and parks, there's just no replacing DC. If you need to film at the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial, custom pools in Virginia or Maryland simply will not cut it.

New York

However, not all famous cities are national capitals. Take, for example, New York City; it is probably the most recognizable city in America if not the world. It's an extremely popular location setting for all kinds of television shows, movies and franchises. Its recognizability is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Setting your story in New York is often a no-brainer, because everyone is at least a little bit familiar with the city, but it's very difficult to believably set a show in the Big Apple and not film it at least in part on location, because everyone is at least a little bit familiar with the city. It's a rare day in the city when someone isn't filming something there.

Chatsworth

The United Kingdom is home to hundreds of grand homes, palaces and castles, many of which have become famous across the world as locations for movie sets and television dramas. Perhaps none is more immediately recognizable than Chatsworth House. Chatsworth has played royal palaces, wealthy manor grounds and even Pemberley itself. This unspeakably grand mansion is immediately recognizable to all fans of romantic period dramas. For an atmosphere of dignity, grandeur, pomp and circumstance, it's hard to imagine a more appropriate location.

New Zealand

While England is home to some of the most easily recognizable and instantly iconic manmade filming locations, a former English colony takes the crown for epic landscapes. New Zealand was already a popular filming destination before a certain well-known fantasy series launched it into superstardom, but it's certainly best known these days as the home of Middle Earth. This history alone would fuel countless filmmakers and tourists, but it's also practically speaking a great place for filmmakers. There are towering mountains, strange landscapes and beautiful pristine wildernesses on both islands, and all are within relatively easy reach for an intrepid film crew.

Hawaii

New Zealand isn't the only island paradise intimately associated with a particular famous franchise. While Hawaii is perhaps best known as the home of dinosaurs and the people who want to bring them back to life, it's also a popular filming location for other famous movies and television shows. If your film features beautiful beaches, dense jungles, mountains and volcanoes, it's got to be Hawaii. Plus, you get the added benefit of all those beautiful beaches to relax on when you're not busy shooting the next scene. No wonder it's a popular destination.

Filming locations are more than mere backdrops. They make up a vital part of the film's DNA and often become inextricably linked to the film's universe. Visitors flock to them, photographers fall in love with them all over again, and then they become a new generation's filming playground. Many things can be recreated in a soundstage, or in a digital environment, or even on a high-tech LED video wall like the Volume, but nothing will ever be able to replace these iconic filming locations.