- [Richard] The job they do in Universal's Prop Department
is a big one.
Aside from the set itself, just about everything
on the screen that isn't alive
is considered a prop.
From action props, like knives
to set dressing props, like lamps or carpets.
Once a Set Designer knows what a particular set
should look like, the prop list is sent here
where more than four acres of things are stored.
From serious works of art, to zany looking
who knows what's.
From massive mirrors, to miniature mary-go-rounds.
Once the people in the Prop Department
have located everything that's needed,
they deliver it all to the set.
There, the Set Designer makes sure
that all the right pieces get put into
all the right places,
to create a place that will look convincing on the screen.
- [Henry Bumstead] I always try to do sets
the way people imagine things to be,
not maybe the way they actually are.
Yeah, this is Universal's New York Street.
And it's really one of the best streets in Hollywood
and it's been filmed hundreds and hundreds of times.
- [Richard] Two time Academy Award winning
Set Designer, Henry Bumstead
earned one of his Oscars
for turning an exterior set located in California,
and nicknamed New York Street, into Chicago
for a movie called, "The Sting".
(upbeat music)
- [Henry] We do a tremendous amount of research
when we do a period picture.
"The Sting" was a good example
because that period, they didn't use much color.
Which, they didn't, everything was kinda browns
and grays, and this is "The Sting" drugstore.
Of course, it didn't look like that.
It's been changed many times since we used it
for "The Sting".
- [Richard] This same set that Henry Bumstead
turned into Chicago for "The Sting"
underwent an even more amazing transformation
when it became Richmond in "Streets of Fire".
A huge canopy was erected
that turned the entire exterior environment
into an interior, to enable the producers
to shoot night time scenes all day long.
(upbeat music)
Actually, a lot of shooting at Universal
takes place indoors
in one of several massive enclosures
that offer control, not only of light and weather
but of sound as well.
Which is why they're called sound stages.
- This is an existing location outside of Seattle
by the name of the Browns Inn.
It's over 7,000 square feet.
The exterior was measured
and has been duplicated on stage 25.
The home is very, very large.
It's very old.
And as you can see, it's in the background here.
It's been painted a different color.
It has the exteriors
as well as the interiors.
It has the second floor, which is built
on the same stage.
You can fit very, very, very large
exteriors and interior sets on a stage.
- [Richard] Imagine working in a building
big enough to house another building,
or several rooms from a very large, luxurious home.
Then, imagine all the things you could do
with all that space,
and all the tools, and all the skills
that Universal has on hand.
And you'll begin to get a sense
of the enormous resources required
to make a make-believe world 100% believable.
- [Henry] There's a lot of tremendously talented people
working behind the scenes.
And I mean, not only the carpenters and the plasters,
the painters, the costume designers,
the cinematographers, sound,
music, there's just a wealth of talent
in the motion picture industry.
And I think that's what movie magic is.
- [Richard] Count up the names
in the credits of a modern screen production
and you'll see just how much of what we love about movies
and TV shows, comes from behind the scenes
and from the behind the scenes stars
at work everywhere on the Universal lot.
(upbeat music)
- Okay, let's roll a rehearsal please.
- 35's going to be used in the contestant holding area.
- [Man] You name the stars, we walk for them.
- [Man] You come into work every day,
it's truly like
lifting the top up on this huge toy box.
- [Man] Okay line it up,
let's have a playback on that.
- [Man] After that, pretty much is ready to go
to the movie theater.
- [Richard] It all adds up to this.
A legacy of screen entertainment,
featuring films of every kind.
From wacky comedies,
to horror classics.
To wild and wooly westerns.