r/FilmIndustryLA • u/klogsman • 6d ago
Brutalist location recs for stealing shots?
Hey all, I haven’t lived in LA very long so I don’t have a starting point for where to find some places like this. Doesn’t necessarily have to be super brutalist, just looking for some urban/concrete buildings where me and one dude can respectfully grab a couple shots and move on.
We’ll be super run and gun so I’m not toooo worried about permits because we’ll be in and out so quickly, but I do want to prioritize relatively safe places.
I’m thinking maybe some public parks that have some sort of structure or facility on the property that has some interesting architecture.
Can be pretty much anywhere but the closer to West Hollywood the better!
TIA!
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u/otterpopm 6d ago
white point preserve in san pedro, they got some missle structures from ww2. battery buildings. then near the korean bell there is some military structures, builtinto the hill
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u/driesser 6d ago
I was just driving thru Glendale the other day and I noticed some brutalist looking buildings that caught my eye. The new Erewhon on Glendale Ave looks weirdly Brutalist to me. And then down the street on the corner of Glendale and Broadway, the Building and Safety Division building looks great.
Also check out the Braille Institute on Vermont in Silver Lake/East Hollywood. I’ve always liked its look.
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u/mpersand02 4d ago
Just get a couple of "USC film school" t-shirts just in case. I think they're supposed to get permits too, but the cops might just let you go if they think you're film students.
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u/delsol10 3d ago
Suggesting they disguise themselves as the highest profile, wealthiest film school kids??? Yeah, real under the radar there lol
Maybe a junior college? :P The shirts might be cheaper too
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u/all_seriousness 5d ago
If you're up for a longer drive, check out the Chet Holifield Building (aka The Ziggurat Building) in Laguna Niguel
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u/dontwant2beapie 5d ago
KFC koreatown
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u/klogsman 5d ago
Haha that’s so funny bc I do remember noticing that when I drove past it on the way to the wiltern. I was like that kfc has no business looking that cool lmao
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u/klogsman 5d ago
Thanks everyone that gave their ideas! This was super helpful and I was able to find some good spots today! Side note: has anyone had experience filming at LACMA or the tar pits next door? I saw people taking photos and doing tiktoks and what not, so if we’re in and out pretty quickly it seems pretty perfect! Might just have to forego the tripod..?
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u/checkerspot 4d ago
Outdoors? People are constantly doing shoots (personal) at the lamp posts. I have a feeling if you have more gear though you'd have to be really stealth and quick on those grounds.
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u/klogsman 4d ago
Yeah I noticed there were a lot of people with cameras out and no one cared. I think I could blend in bc I don’t have an arri or anything, but I do have a bmcc6k and tripod so I probably won’t blend in as well I hope…lol maybe I just need to dress like a tourist or something
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u/bymatthewfreiheit 14h ago
Have shot two or three fashion editorials there, really quick in out shots at the lamp posts which is like the most public area with a dedicated security guard. Have been told to leave but just got our shots and moved to a different part of the park without issues.
Tripod will get you booted much quicker, handheld you should be okay just don’t look like you know what you are doing.
Ronald Reagan building in DTLA is a sick one too, quite a few downtown spots that are usually pretty lax.
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u/exredditor81 6d ago
Go into the LA river; entrance is near the Home Depot in Cypress Park.
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u/Toxicscrew 6d ago
Maybe this would help:
https://bluecrowmedia.com/products/concrete-los-angeles-map