Narnia: The Filming Locations

[icarus]

Found out a rather interesting location related fact today - apparently they did some preliminary location scouting for Dawn Treader in Thailand.

This is from the website of "The 6th Element" which is apparently "Thailand's Premier Production Support Services".

Pong : Location Manager: ..... With his good looks and charm, his adoring public often are eager to allow him access and permission to locations that otherwise may be unattainable. This makes him the perfect match as ‘Senior Location Manager’ for many foreign films including Disney’s “Chronicle of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” and their preliminary location scouts along Thailand’s picturesque coastlines.

Evidently the scouting was done a long time ago when the film was still with Disney, though exactly where it fits in with the timeline of other scouted/proposed/abandoned locations i don't know.

http://www.the6element.com/our_crews.php

[ceppault]

Been thinking about this ...

I don't doubt this was in line immediately following the decision not to use Baja Studios, Rosarito B.C., México. (Google Maps, Studio Website). I seem to recall the production was very settled on this one location to keep costs down.

• Mexico Contributes to the Narnia Movies 2 June 2008
• VDT Filming Locations Still in Flux 3 July 2008
• 'Dawn Treader' Heading from Mexico to Australia 17 December 2008

[fantasia]

Has this one been pointed out yet? (Soon to be formerly) VFX firm Photon based in Queensland, AU apparently did some work on VDT according to this site here.

[ceppault]

... VFX firm Photon based in Queensland, AU apparently did some work on VDT ...

As The Senate Visual Effects finds it's home at Twickenham Studios, Photon VFX has it's home at Warner Roadshow Studios.

[ceppault]

I have spent time looking for maps of Photon VFX's location within Warner Roadshow Studios. Not readily found.

The Senate Visual Effects (suspected for Dufflepod CGI work) was much easier to find within Twickenham Studios. Just added this today for VDT Filming Locations on Google Maps.

And The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: Filming Locations hit 1,000 views today.

Yep. Double-post. Been a month almost and it is a good update.

[DamselJillPole]

My friend was going to do props and art design on this movie but took a job on a movie set in Guatemala instead.

The locations of Australia doesn't bother me. I mean the sets looked great and most of it was indoors. The location I love the best is how Coriakin's house and island is going to look. It looks like Alice in Wonderland. Very cool!

[ceppault]

Providing links to NearMap's images of Cleveland Point:

15 October 2009. The gimbal remains in place at on the concrete pad that was made for the whole set to sit on. I wonder if a different system was used at Roadshow Studios.

11 May 2010. Reportedly, the concrete pad is going to remain for use in any future filming projects (Bayside Bulletin).

[icarus]

A couple of thoughts on some of the known locations seen in the trailer:

1. MovieWorld Car Park - Most people out there probably won't even realise it, but that opening shot of the trailer is unbelievably impressive when you know it was filmed in the Parking Lot for a Theme Park! Honestly, if i didn't already know that's where they filmed the Cambridge street scene, i would of naturally assumed it was filmed on location somewhere. (Also, was rather cool watching that shot and noticing all the familiar antique vehicles we heard reports about and saw photos of during pre-production going by in the background )

EDIT 1: A quick search on google images confirmed a hunch i had... the building in the background of the street scene is King's College in Cambridge A pretty flawless rendering if you ask me

The real life King's College:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... King's.JPG

compared to the blue-screened in version seen in the trailer:

http://www.narniaweb.com/wp-content/upl ... 6/0002.jpg

and then compare to the filming location:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/r ... emoval.jpg

In fact, the more i look at that, the more delighted i am with how well they did such a shot.

2. The Southport School - By contrast, i think this is one of those times that it is a disadvantage to have too much behind-the-scenes knowledge. All i can think when i see the shot of Edmund in the recruitment centre is "oh wow! i recognise that! it's the southport school dining hall we heard about!". Still its fun to notice the little background details - what was there before, what was added as set dressing etc.

Also i should point out, that in the old topic on the old board, Coracle called that scene spot on. To quote Coracle directly - "I believe it's to do with the army, and the idea of a recruiting base or a volunteers' centre seems likely". Very well called

The exterior shot of them getting their bikes i also find overly recognisable as being the exterior shots from Southport School, but i do have to commend them for the choice of location. It looks very nice
_______________________________________________________

And in potential new location news (i.e. not from the trailer) - South Stradbroke Island? Do we have that one already? Its often hard to tell, as some places are referred to by more than one name, but i checked it out on Googlemaps, and it doesnt look familiar. Anyway, source:

The Third feature film in the ever popular Narnia series has finally wrapped and gone into post SFX mode. Airview Xtreme Aerial Filming played a major role in this movie shooting major aerial scenes on the Gold Coast at South Stradbroke Island and Moreton Island off Brisbane, Queensland.

http://www.airviewgroup.com.au/index.ph ... 3bbbec25b4

Edit 2: Checked the existing locations list, and the beach at Jumpinpin seems to be on Stradbroke Island too, so i'd wager it was the same place they are referring to. Disregard

[ceppault]

... the building in the background of the street scene is King's College in Cambridge A pretty flawless rendering if you ask me

... think this is one of those times that it is a disadvantage to have too much behind-the-scenes knowledge.

Local knowledge certainly can make a difference! I would have not made the connection with King's College. Serious attention to detail in that rendering.

I'm with you on that feeling of knowing too much about what went on behind the scenes. Might have taken away a little sense of the magic when seeing the trailer. That'll learn me.

[icarus]

You know what i thought might be quite fun to do if you have some spare time Ceppault? Make another Google Map, but this time for the real world "in-universe" movie locations. i.e. the real world places that appear in each of the movies, but were not actual filming locations. So for instance in LWW, you have places such as Finchley in North London, London Paddington train station, and Coombe Halt in Cornwall (plus wherever the intermediary stop on the train is supposed to be). For PC you have the Strand in central London, and for VDT you evidently have The Gatehouse at King's College in Cambridge, and no doubt other real world locations to come.

I even had a look at some of the shots in the trailer of the bedroom window in Eustace's house, you can very clearly see the two spires of King's College Chapel in the background. I reckon it wouldn't be too hard, using that as a spatial reference, to work out a reasonably accurate position for the Scrubb's House on google maps! That would be seriously cool

[ceppault]

You know what i thought might be quite fun ... real world "in-universe" movie locations.

I think that is an excellent idea and would be a lot of fun. As I mentioned before, real-life experience is helpful. Care to contribute?

[icarus]

Absolutely! Always glad to help!

[ceppault]

Icarus is now officially a collaborator on the maps. Awaiting him to post some of his amazing finds.

Thanks to icarus, Kings College Gatehouse, Cambridge, was added to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Filming Locations.

We see this location in the very first few seconds of the trailer (click here). I think it safe to see this as a CG recreation of the Gatehouse. I love the details to include all the bicycles parked in front which compares closely with many images on Flickr. Professor Kirke's home was digitally recreated too, with Kentwell Hall, Suffolk, serving as a model.

[ceppault]

Real world "in-universe" movie locations from the Chronicles of Narnia movies have now been posted for easy reference on Google Maps.

• Chronicles of Narnia: Real world In-Universe Locations.

Most of the credit goes to Icarus on identifying these locations.

This project will continue to evolve. If anyone has any input or thoughts on locations, do feel free to comment.

We are both curious to know if anyone shares our level of enthusiasm for such things.

[ceppault]

Been absent for a while. Yep. Triple post. Adjust.

Watched the videos here. We can now say for sure that Whakaari Island serves as Dragon Island, or whatever the writers are calling it - I've not kept track of much lately. And the green screen work of the cast looking to Dragon Island - what can I say? Smokin!

This scenes of Eustace falling into a small canyon where he finds Lord Octesian's arm band are almost certainly partially filmed here.

Multiple good guesses there folks. Nicely done.

[icarus]

I was thinking that the shots of Caspian and Edmund walking around the Island, as well as the shots immediately preceeding Eustace finding the gold filled valley, were probably filmed at the Quarries in Yatala, given that no cast shooting was actually done at White Island.

Either way, I was particularly impressed with the use of locations in that second clip as well, given that they've blended together shooting from maybe 4 or more locations to create a very seamless and distinct looking island with a very definite character and personality to it (i can almost overlook the fact that it is certainly a Deathwater and Dragon Island merger in that regard, given how good it looks)

There are the island shots from Whakaari/White Island, possibly the quarry shots from Yatala, the Dragon Gold Valley shots from the backlot at Movie World, and then some shots from the Dawn Treader deck at Cleveland point, and maybe more. Simply just fantastic.