Question for tgreg and kelly

[Ramius]

Since there are so many movies and TV shows with "the president" in them, does each show or movie create their own oval office set, or is there a generic Warner Bros/Universal/etc oval office set that the film of TV show can book for their use?

[R. Rich]

You mean you don't know?

[Beerball]

You mean you don't know?

It's made from Legos, right?

[Chilly]

It's made from Legos, right?

 

ur made from eggos

[Beerball]

ur made from eggos

Get in me belly!!!

[Kelly the Dog]

For the most part, each film will make their own set. Because the director will have a different idea or vision for how he thinks it should look, or how he thinks the shot(s) should look, and where the cameras (and actors) will be positioned depending on what they want the scene to do. Not to mention the set designers. Plus, there isn't a lot of room to put old sets when there are 100+ films a year being shot for the studios. They re-use exteriors all the time, meaning the streets and stuff that they have on back lots. But for the most part, the interiors are built for the soundstage that they will be shooting the upcoming film on. There are instances of similar sets used, and probably even for an oval office. But in general, they don't re-use stuff like that. There's just no place to put it.

 

EDIT. I think, however, that the Oval Office set for the West Wing was the same one from the movie "The American President", because Aaron Sorkin did both of them.

And after a little googling, "Nixon" used that same one because it was so elaborate, and released in the same year as The American President. That one seems to be more of an exception, apparently a very elaborate set.

[Jon in Pasadena]

On the 2-disk DVD release of X2 (the 2nd X-Man film) there is an interesting Special Feature about how they constructed their Oval Office & West Wing sets. I found it pretty interesting. They even made sure it was updated to accurately reflect GWB ordering the Oval Office carpeting to be changed from the traditional deep blue color to some horrible pinkish-beige-y hue.

[Ramius]

For the most part, each film will make their own set. Because the director will have a different idea or vision for how he thinks it should look, or how he thinks the shot(s) should look, and where the cameras (and actors) will be positioned depending on what they want the scene to do. Not to mention the set designers. Plus, there isn't a lot of room to put old sets when there are 100+ films a year being shot for the studios. They re-use exteriors all the time, meaning the streets and stuff that they have on back lots. But for the most part, the interiors are built for the soundstage that they will be shooting the upcoming film on. There are instances of similar sets used, and probably even for an oval office. But in general, they don't re-use stuff like that. There's just no place to put it.

 

EDIT. I think, however, that the Oval Office set for the West Wing was the same one from the movie "The American President", because Aaron Sorkin did both of them.

And after a little googling, "Nixon" used that same one because it was so elaborate, and released in the same year as The American President. That one seems to be more of an exception, apparently a very elaborate set.

 

thanks!

[HopsGuy]

EDIT. I think, however, that the Oval Office set for the West Wing was the same one from the movie "The American President", because Aaron Sorkin did both of them.

And after a little googling, "Nixon" used that same one because it was so elaborate, and released in the same year as The American President. That one seems to be more of an exception, apparently a very elaborate set.

 

I remember Allison Janney saying in an interview that she toured the real Oval Office and commented to the tour guide "Ours is nicer" or something along those lines.