Finally, the day was here! I got up, threw my suitcase down the stairs, jumped into the car and drove straight to school. Only this was no normal school day, it was dark, I was heavily sleep deprived and everyone was on time, an extremely rare occasion. All forty students and four teachers – ready and waiting, excitement bubbling. The day Langley Park took Los Angeles. After an excruciatingly long flight, we finally arrived, the American sun was stunning, something we were very unfamiliar with. You feel like you’re in a movie, the thick American accents the bustling of Californians, a very surreal experience.
Day 1
Starting the trip off on a high; our first visit was a guided tour of Paramount Pictures, home to the greatest award-winning movies. We were shown around by some very enthusiastic tour guides; they showed us where the films are screened and movie sets containing current programmes being filmed. We walked through the New York Streets as we turned left and found ourselves in front of a familiar looking building, and are told we may recognise it as the school in Grease. We also had the pleasure of visiting the Dr Phil set.
The Farmer’s Market was the food market of everyone’s dreams, with an enormous selection of all the food you could imagine. Madame Tussaud’s Hollywood, the museum home to wax figures from films and artists such as Hannibal Lecter, Elvis Presley and directors such as Quentin Tarantino directing Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. Hollywood Boulevard was packed with entertainers, singers and of course everyone was searching for their most favoured celebs on the Walk of Fame.
I was even lucky enough to bump into one of my favourite YouTubers, David Dobrik (this was probably the highlight of my trip).
And last but definitely not least, we arrived at our last stop of the day, The Griffith Observatory. Admiring the sunset, the stunning view of L.A. and the historic art deco features of the Observatory. This also included finding the exact spots where ‘La La Land’ was shot and James Dean’s iconic fight scene in ‘Rebel without a Cause’.
Day 3
We got to experience Hollywood properly, through the Heart of Hollywood Tour, as we went sightseeing down the Boulevard revealing the history and hidden secrets behind its iconography. We also visited Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, surrounded by many celebrities’ handprints and signatures in the cement. Our tour guide pointed out that Marilyn Monroe actually placed one of her diamond earrings in the cement, which many people over the years have been trying to retrieve, chipping away at the concrete. Our next stop was The Dolby Theatre, we got a behind the scenes experience of what takes place backstage at the Oscars and we were even able to go on the same stage that the likes of Meryl Streep and Jim Carrey have received awards.
We then visited Greystone Park and Mansion, also known as the Doheny Mansion. We had a tour of the house and estate which was a gift from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny to his son Ned Doheney. Our tour guide explained the story of how four months after Ned and his family moved in, Ned mysteriously died in a guest bedroom in a murder-suicide with his secretary. The house from then on became infamously haunted; film sets that had left microphones on overnight have recorded strange noises such as screaming and furniture being misplaced. The house and grounds are often used in filmmaking and television production. The house’s descending staircase is one of the most famous sets in Hollywood.
Our last excursion for the day, was to Venice Beach, this was not your ordinary beach. Yes, there is sand and waves, but there are all sorts of interesting characters, too. We found street performers, surfers and lots of skaters.
Day 4
we had a tour around Warner Bros. Studios, where we were able to go on the sets of Pretty Little Liars, Big Bang Theory and the Ellen Degeneres show. Finally, we ended the day at Rodeo Drive, feeling very out of place surrounded by designer brands and expensive cars you really did feel like you were in a movie, however Rodeo Drive does look slightly different to what it did thirty years ago in Pretty Woman.
Day 5
We spent the day exploring Santa Monica and we were given the freedom to explore the area we were staying, such as the beach, the pier and the promenade.
Day 6
Universal Studios. This was the day we had all been waiting for, rides, simulators and Harry Potter, you couldn’t really ask for anything more.
Day 7
Our final day in Los Angeles was rather depressing; I think I can speak on everyone’s behalf that no one wanted to leave. However, our last few hours consisted of visiting Sony Pictures Studios and Hollywood Boulevard one final time.
Sony had a whole room full of iconic props from their movies such as the weapon used in Men in Black and the original Ecto-1 Ghostbusters car. Then our adventures shortly came to an end as we made our way to LAX airport. Overall, my first time visiting America was one of the most amazing experiences and it definitely won’t be the last.
Finally, thank you very much Miss Brown, Mr Butterworth, Mr Costello and Mr Savill for organising the trip and making it the most enjoyable experience as possible. Also, if you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out fellow blogger and Film student, Jodie Chanda’s video of the trip below.
By Hannah Gilby
Comments