Jackie Conley
Warner Bros. said goodbye to the Old West when it opened a new
neighborhood on its studio lot.
Dubbed Warner Village, the new street exterior set provides film
and television productions with 11 New England-style houses, and
offices for its employees inside.
"The gravy is shooting on it," said Jeff Nagler, executive vice
president the studio facility group. "But having these offices makes
it more."
Located on the east end of the lot, the houses are lined by
removable streetlamps and backyards filled with eucalyptus trees. The
indoor office spaces have kitchens, restrooms, patios and windows
bringing in natural light.
"We wanted to create an environment where creative people are
happy and can do creative work," Nagler said.
Warner Village started development 10 months ago after the studio
received several requests to have a new street built on the lot.
Lauren Crasco, a production designer for the WB television show
"Gilmore Girls," was called on to design the new set. Her design
turned the old Western town into a set to resemble a current housing
area.
The company decided to replace the old Western town because
production had been slow in the past years, said Craig Hoffman,
director of corporate communications at Warner Bros. Entertainment
Inc. He added that, in the past three years, the town had been used
for 10 days of shooting.
However, Warner Village is already in use with its new residents,
production companies for television shows such as "Joey," the
"Friends" spin-off, and feature films such as "Ocean's Twelve."
"This is the best place to work in town. You won't find anything
as nice as this," said Richard Gelfand, a unit production manager.
"We planted children down the street just so we can hear their voices
in the distance," Gelfand joked. "Just wait until we get the horse
trail and hiking tour going."
