Aayush Sharma
Created by Mickey Fisher, ‘Extant’ is a sci-fi drama that tells the story of a female astronaut named Molly Woods (Halle Berry), who learns she is pregnant after struggling with infertility for years. But how? She has spent 13 months alone on the Seraphim Space Station, and when she returns, she finds that her husband, John, has built their android son, Ethan. The news of the pregnancy shocks Molly, and she embarks on a journey to find answers. As the story progresses, Molly unravels shocking truths and buried secrets that blur the line between science and humanity. Molly is willing to do anything and everything to uncover the reality, even if it means putting herself on the line. Since her journey takes her to different places, the makers didn’t shy away from highlighting areas and venues with the show’s sci-fi vibe.
Extant Filming Locations
‘Extant’ was shot entirely in California, especially in Los Angeles, Culver City, Pasadena, and Marina del Rey. The principal photography for the first season of the sci-fi series seemingly began in February 2014. Meanwhile, the second instalment, most likely, started filming in the latter part of 2014 and continued until the initial months of 2015. Halle Berry, who plays the lead role of Molly Woods, noted in an interview that shooting the aforementioned series was hard because she couldn’t see her family due to tight schedules. Moreover, at the time, she revealed that ‘Extant’ pushed her to the limit and that she had never worked this hard on a project physically and emotionally before.
Los Angeles, California
The series was extensively shot in Los Angeles, popularly known as the home of Hollywood. Situated in Los Angeles County in the Bear State, the city became the base for outdoor filming. Several scenes and sequences were taped in the city, capturing the urban scenery and diverse locales that added authenticity and scale to the show’s futuristic storytelling. The team used places such as Ramon Cortines School of Visual & Performing Arts at 450 North Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles and the National History Museum of Los Angeles County at 900 Exposition Boulevard to film essential parts of the show. Another critical location used for taping is Griffith Park, located at Crystal Spring Drive in the aforementioned city. The crew used the location to film several scenes vital to the title’s narrative.
On the other hand, a significant chunk of the series was recorded on the premises of Paramount Studios at 5555 Melrose Avenue. Spread across 65 acres with 30 sound stages covering almost 360,000 sq. ft, the facility offers a variety of services to assist the production of a wide range of shows. Moreover, the complex is filled with mill spaces and wardrobe cages. Titles such as ‘American Horror Story,’ ‘Forrest Gump,‘ ‘Star Trek,‘ ‘Cloverfield,‘ and ‘Vanilla Sky‘ were lensed at Paramount Studios. Apart from these places, the popular 6th Street Bridge in Downtown LA also served as a major location for filming.
The crew also filmed at major streets like Broadway Street and 11th Street in the aforementioned region of the City of Angels. The metropolis is one of the most popular shooting destinations in the world. Due to its diverse locales and historical significance in the film industry, the city continues to attract directors who want a setting that can seamlessly transform to match any story or genre. It is also the home of Hollywood, which is considered the heart of the film industry. You can also spot the city’s unique blend of stunning locales and rugged landscape in many high-end sci-fi movies and TV shows, including ‘Black Mirror,‘ ‘Interstellar,‘ ‘The Mandalorian,‘ ‘Inception,‘ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,‘ and ‘Westworld,‘ which were filmed in the city.
Culver City, California
Apart from Los Angeles, the cast and crew of ‘Extant‘ taped several essential scenes in Culver City. It is part of Los Angeles County and is considered to be a prime location for film and TV productions. The team filmed essential parts of the show in the city to enhance the visual appeal. Consequently, they used landmark buildings such as West Los Angeles College at 9000 Overland Avenue and Circle-K Motel at 5329 Sepulveda Boulevard to shoot specific segments.
Furthermore, the cast and crew of ‘Extant’ visited the Culver Studios for filming and took advantage of its state-of-the-art stages and facilities to bring the more complex and futuristic scenes of the show to life. Spanning over 14 acres, the studio has 6 soundstages, 5 creative office buildings, and several studio support systems, making the production process smooth and efficient. Popular titles such as ‘War of the Worlds,‘ ‘The Dark Knight Rises,‘ ‘For All Mankind,‘ ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,‘ and ‘Men in Black‘ were shot in The Heart of Screenland.
Pasadena, California
The team also utilized the locales of Pasadena, which is 18 km northeast of Downtown LA, as the setting for some scenes. The production crew accessed several areas of the city to tape different segments, making full use of the city’s mix of modern architecture and classic backdrops to ground the sci-fi story in a believable world. The team lensed some scenes on La Loma Road and Laguna Road. Pasadena is famous for its cultural institutions, like the Huntington Library, Art Museum, Botanical Gardens, Pasadena Civic Auditorium, and Norton Simon Museum, which are often utilized for filming. Besides being a cultural hub, it is popular for the Rose Parade, earning it the title of the Crown City. A few other ventures filmed in the town are ‘Oppenheimer,‘ ‘True Detective,‘ ‘The Prestige,‘ ‘Back to the Future,‘ and ‘The Martian.’
Marina del Ray, California
Lying south of Santa Monica is Marina del Rey, an unincorporated seaside community in Los Angeles. The production team recorded certain sequences in the Fisherman’s Village at 13755 Fiji Way in Marine del Rey. The area mentioned above is a seaside tourist spot that combines a boat harbor with a marketplace and is designed to look like a traditional fishing village. The crew filmed a few scenes at the location and used the landscapes to enhance the viewing experience. Marina del Rey has been a popular name in the world of entertainment, and several big production houses take advantage of its location to showcase scenic views. The place offers diverse landscapes, including the harbor, which appears in various productions. ‘Dexter,‘ ‘Beyond Skylines,’ ‘The X-Files,‘ ‘Mortal Kombat,‘ and ‘American Sniper‘ were taped in the region.
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