Shubhabrata Dutta
Created by Mara Brock Akil, Netflix’s ‘Forever’ is a coming-of-age drama series about Keisha and Justin, two Los Angeles-based Black teenagers who find their first love in each other. Amid the many firsts and risks that their romance brings, they must also navigate school and their parents. As days pass in love, obstacles start showing up, and Keisha and Justin realize that promising to be forever isn’t as beautiful as it feels. The show is adapted from Judy Blume’s popular novel of the same name. The love lives of the protagonists built slowly against sun-drenched Los Angeles, and the city almost becomes a character in the narrative, showing up every now and then in stunning avatars.
Forever Filming Locations
‘Forever’ was filmed in California, specifically in Los Angeles, and Massachusetts. Principal photography began in the first half of April 2024 and continued for several weeks before wrapping in late July of the same year. While the book is set in the 1970s, the series is set in 2018 Los Angeles, thereby requiring the crew to opt for urban backdrops and settings while maintaining the original story’s mood. “I’m honored to reimagine one of my favorite books, Forever,” Akil was quoted saying by The i Paper. While Los Angeles became the base for the shoot, Massachusetts was used to film additional scenes.
Los Angeles, California
Since the story is set in the City of Angels, the home of Hollywood, the production crew painted a colorful LA canvas using the visuals. Various neighborhoods were accessed and used as authentic backdrops for indoor and outdoor scenes. In the story, Keisha lives in Crenshaw, a neighborhood in South Los Angeles, while Justin lives in Park-Windsor Hills, AKA View Park-Windsor Hills, one of America’s wealthiest African-American neighborhoods, in West Los Angeles. Naturally, these two locations were utilized extensively for filming. The characters shop in Fairfax District, a neighborhood in Central Los Angeles. It is known for its cultural scene and street fashion, both of which may have had an influence on the crew as an effective way to showcase teenage life. The crew also used the areas around the NCM Car Wash, located at West Slauson Avenue, for a few scenes. Many scenes were also filmed using green screens, which were digitally altered in post-production.
“I don’t know too much about LA culture. I know the stigmas around it, but I don’t know LA culture, and coming here and falling in love with the true LA culture was so amazing,” actress Lovie Simone, who plays Keisha, was quoted saying by AOL. Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world and is known for its urbanism and shine. The production team took immense care to highlight this aspect using wide shots and establishing shots of the skyline and boulevards both during day and night. The city is home to some of the biggest production studios in the world, including Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., and Paramount Pictures. Besides them, there are innumerable production studios offering top-tier facilities for film and television production. This naturally served as a plus for the team of ‘Forever.’ Other shows shot there include ‘Running Point,’ ‘The Residence,’ and ‘You.’
Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
While the narrative is based in Los Angeles, a small portion was shot in Massachusetts. The crew resorted to Martha’s Vineyard, AKA the Vineyard, a gorgeous island south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, to reportedly shoot the last episode of ‘Forever.’ Businesses were sent notices a month in advance about the filming, which took place over around 10 days starting May 14, 2024, to ensure they weren’t inconvenienced. During an interview with the Vineyard Gazette, Akil spoke about the island’s rich Black history. “This place is special, but it’s uniquely special to Black families…It’s a place where our children can experience freedom and independence, to have a chance for them to run around as little kids and to be around town by themselves to socialize and meet each other,” she stated.
Blume and Akil are both longtime Vineyard seasonal residents, making filming there no less than a spiritual experience. Oak Bluffs, a town located on the northeast shore of the island, was used to film several scenes. The Niantic Park, located at 35 Wamsutta Avenue in Vineyard Haven, the East Chop area in the town’s north end, and various portions of Circuit Avenue, which is the heart of the Vineyard, became the settings for several outdoor shots. Besides these, the popular donut shop and bakery, Back Door Donuts, located at 1-11 Kennebec Avenue, and the Flying Horses Carousel at 15 Lake Avenue, were also used for filming. An open casting call was held, enabling many Vineyarders to become extras.
Vineyard Haven, a community in the town of Tisbury, was also used to film many scenes. The Steamship Authority terminal, located at 1 Water Street, was used for some outdoor scenes. The gorgeous port serves as the main entrance to the Vineyard, one that ushers tourists from all across the globe. A portion of the filming, including a car scene, also took place near CB Stark Jewelers, a jewelry store situated at 53A Main Street. The production team used the town of Aquinnah as the setting for some scenes, too. Located on the western end of the Vineyard, it offers a range of natural backdrops, including the Gay Head Cliffs, a designated National Natural Landmark, and the Aquinnah Circle Cultural District. Both of these were used as the backdrop during filming. The Circle includes the historic Gay Head Light lighthouse, the Aquinnah Cultural Center, and the Aquinnah Overlook observation point.
The Squibnocket Beach in the town of Chilmark, which is nestled in the Vineyard’s south shore, was used to capture a handful of scenes incorporating the stunning natural backdrops and bringing variety to the show’s aesthetic. Staring at the Atlantic Ocean, the beach is well-known among surfers and striped bass fishermen. However, a parking pass is required to visit the beach during the season. “I think I feel a great deal of responsibility to try and to capture [the Island’s] beauty the best way that we can and with care. Filming takes a lot of people and a lot of equipment, and we don’t want to affect the serenity of what’s so special about the Island,” Akil stated.
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