On the Road Again Sony Pictures Studio

New to SoCal, too busy to explore, or perhaps time to revisit? Debra offers suggestions

Debra Friedman

In the heart of Culver City, lies a working movie studio – Sony Pictures Studios. The first building built in 1915 was Triangle Studios, and by 1936 it expanded to a 435-acre MGM. As expected, there were various iterations on this site, including representation from United Artists, Turner Broadcasting, Lorimar, and Columbia Pictures until the 1990 purchase by Sony. Now at 45 acres, it packs in quite a bit with 19 sound stages, a museum, gift shop, production offices, a costume stage, after effects studios, and more. Due to the limited size, there are no large back lots. Rather, some of the offices were designed to double as exterior shots, such as a courthouse and a New York tenement complete with fire escapes. Many buildings are named after stars of the early screen such as Jimmy Stewart, Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Joan Crawford.

The most active sound stages are for Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Our group saw the Jeopardy set up close and personal, although not during filming. The post-production foley room was a highlight, with a multitude of props used for after effects.

The start of the tour was inspiring with an exceptionally edited film about the history of the Sony studios with clips of famous movie scenes. A prominent feature is the Sony water tower that contains 16,000 gallons of water.

Now that I have visited Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Sony it’s difficult to pick my favorite. They each offer unique elements, and I’m always a fan of informative videos, props, museums, and gift shops

Age Well Senior Services Lunch Program

To qualify for this program, Orange County participants must be 60 or older and be homebound because of illness, disability or lack of mobility. This usually means you have difficulty shopping and/or preparing meals and do not have family or friends you can depend on for regular meal support. Find out more at agewellseniorservices.org/senior-cuisine-delivered, or by calling Age Well at (949) 470-3063 for more information.

This program also provides hot, nutritious lunches for older adults in South Orange County at the Norman P. Murray Center Monday through Friday for $5.50. You must call the number listed above by noon, two business days in advance to make or cancel your request. More Information can be found at mealsonwheelsoc.org. Click on Lunch Café.