Grand Budapest Hotel
Görlitzer Warenhaus department located in Görlitz, Germany was the primary filming location for the Grand Budapest Hotel film. The 2014 comedy-drama was written and directed by Wes Anderson. The building’s original architecture elements caught the attention of the production designer Adam Stockhausen. He was intrigued by the stairways, elevators, and atrium. His team built out the rest of the set around these original features. They drew inspiration from various books on hotel history and luxury travel as well as spas throughout Germany and the Czech Republic. In the interest of budget the producers utilized filming techniques like matte paintings and miniature effect.
Dune Movie Part One
This science fiction film is part one of a two part movie series based on the book of the same title by author Frank Herbert. Set in the year 10091 AG the main character Paul Atreides and his family are caught up in a war over the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis. The movie producers and set designers scouted Wadi Rum, Jordan as the set for this deserted planet. Other interesting sets included spots around Abu Dhabi and Norway’s northwestern shore line. Indoor filming took place mostly in the Origo Studios in Budapest, Hungary. The studio has many spooky sets with a wide range of practical effects limiting the need for green screens.
Columbus
Jin Lee’s estranged father falls into a coma while visiting Columbus, Indiana to give a lecture about architecture. Jin travels from South Korea to tend to his father who is being cared for in a local hospital. Kin meets Casey, a librarian worker who lives with and takes care of her drug addict mother. Over discussions of local architecture the two share their aspirations, dreams, and fears. Eventually Jin convinces Casey to leave Columbus and pursue her dreams of pursuing a degree in architecture.
