I so wanted to visit a movie studio. Not a theme park (ruling out Universal) but an actual studio with sets and stages. I can strike this on my list of things to do before I die – a list that if it existed would include more about studios than just visiting.

Raquel and I went for the tour of Warner Bros. studios which we wanted to do since having seen the huge buildings and the water tower last week while in Burbank for Christmas shopping.

The first good points before entering the studios area: prices at the Warner shop are more than fair (no big Disney-like markup) and you can eat at the same restaurant that employees use –can this provide good networking opportunities? :)

I can’t compare with other studio visits but the WB tour is great: I really liked to be driven and walked through the sets of so many great shows and movies. Some exterior sets are generic: New-York streets, rural places, etc. The central park alley where Rachel runs and the town main place from the Dukes of Hazzard fall in this category. This is quite funny to compare these “small” streets with the huge buildings which host the sound stages. Having said that, it is impressive to walk the desert streets of NYC or to be “alone” (you’re with 10 other people) in a village which would not be inappropriate in Disneyland.

Because this was the holiday break, we could access prestigious sets like the little Chicago of E.R. and its County Hospital outside and the West Wing copy of the White House interiors.

Finally, it was interesting to discover the set of a sitcom (Two and a half men). I think that assisting to the shooting of an episode is now the next point on my list.