LOS ANGELES
Brian visited Los Angeles in 2002 and while there
attended the
Screenwriters' Expo which was held in the
Los Angeles Convention Centre. Brian had
time to explore the "City of Angels" and to pass on some
useful tips from his visit.
"I would advise anyone planning a visit to Los
Angeles to make sure that they
rent a
car.
As I am somewhat nervous in unfamiliar big city traffic
I did not take my own advice! Satnavs were
not readily available in 2002.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Los Angeles
has a relatively decent public transport system and
that, plus taxis, meant that I was able to get around
without any great difficulty. However, the
less nervous majority of drivers should
rent a car for
the freedom of the freeways.
Think Los Angeles, think movies. I visited
Universal Studios
and the
Warner Brothers
VIP Studio Tour.
For the true movie lover the Warner Brothers VIP Studio Tour
is an imperative. Warner Brothers is a working
studio, wheras Universal Studios is a film theme park.
Every visit to Warner Brothers is different. You
will be taken to see indoor and outdoor sets that are
idle on the day. "ER" was being shot on the
day I visited and cast members in their white coats were
outside their studio on a break.
Mike, our guide, told us that if our tour timed with a
break when the
"West Wing" was being shot we stood a
good chance of a chat with Martin Sheen, who loved a
few words with the visitors. This would be
no surprise Galway University students who enjoyed
Martin Sheen's company while he read English
Literature for a semester there recently.
The set of
"Friends" was visited on the tour and
we sat in the audience seats. There were
three scenes set up, kitchen, bar and hallway.
Shooting in front of a live audience was on Saturdays
and took a long full day. For that reason
the composition of the audience could vary, so a
standard laughter track would be recorded of the
audience at one point during the day and that would
overlay the final recording of the episode in the
interests of consistency.
During the Warner Brothers Tour all cameras had to be
stored under our seats, so there is little opportunity
for that "exclusive picture". The tour is
limited to less than 15 participants, lasts 2½
hrs approx and costs $45.
I travelled on the monorail to Long Beach and visited
the
Queen Mary. Cunard's flagship is now
permanently moored there. The Queen Mary is
almost twice the size of the "Titanic", and it is now
worth bearing in mind that at 225,000 tonnes, Royal
Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas will be almost three times
the size of the Queen Mary.
Speaking of size, the capacity of the Los Angeles
Convention Centre is such that the event I attended had
2000+ participants and was held in a side annexe.
On the day, the vast Main Auditorium was hosting a
religious revival event.
I stayed in Downtown Los Angeles and my room overlooked
the
Staples Centre, the home of the
LA
Lakers Basketball Team. Do not miss an
opportunity to attend a game.
Continuing the subject of size, many of our customers
remark that the food portions served in the USA are both
wasteful and off putting. I agree with this.
Despite having the same build as Barack Obama I have an
excellent appetite for food, but being presented with
a plate filled like Mount Everest can kill that appetite
in an instant. I discovered a solution of
sorts while in LA. Ask for the Slimmers' Menu!
Even then, the portions will be generous, but not
gargantuan.
Los Angeles is a functional city and not attractive.
However, you will never be bored there.
After all, for approx $8 you can travel from
downtown Los Angeles to Anaheim and visit the
Disneyland theme park.
This is just a brief account of LA, and I will be
incorporating customer comments on this page as they
come in"
If you would like to visit Los Angeles, please
contact our friendly staff by e-mail
or call us at
065-9051046 (Mon-Fri 10-5.30)
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Price flights to LAX through this link.
More prices for flights to LAX
(at Lillis Travel we give you choice!)
Car rental in LAX
Theatre and Event Tickets in LAX
Martin and Charlie Sheen
The Queen Mary at Long Beach.
Without Travel Insurance in the US you're dead!
Does a Hollywood Star live here?
See also:
SAN
FRANCISCO
CALIFORNIA
COAST DRIVE
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