where is this movie filmed? - Chernobyl Diaries (2012) Discussion

[–] Strazdamonas 12 years ago

Very unlikely as they probably wouldn't have been allowed to stay in there long enough. unless it was ALL filmed in real time in one take.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

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[–] krycek19 9 years ago

They would not be allowed to film there at all!! And it would be way too dangerous because of the radiation!!

Filmed in real time in one long take????

Have you not noticed it takes place over several nights and days????

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[–] Strazdamonas 9 years ago

Nonsense. there are relatively cheap expeditions to Pripyat city happening all the time. they do not allow them to stay over-night there but they allow them to film as much as they want. The radiation level in Prypiat city, where this film takes place, is so low that you will get more by flying in an airplane than by visiting the city. as long as you do not touch the gear that was used in covering the reactor you are going to be fine.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

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[–] faista-1 12 years ago

Are you really NOT aware that there us a "filming location(s)" on every main movie page on IMDB
and hence starting this here little idiotism?

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[–] skeletorhitz 12 years ago

not aware, hence the idiotism is u.

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[–] faista-1 12 years ago

Weakest comeback ever, cretin.

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[–] Radalan 12 years ago

Those are not filming locations per se. Those are countries.

I don't know if you actually checked out that section yourself, but OP was clearly interested to know where in Serbia and Hungary it was filmed.

What clichés? Thats a word the wannabe critics use when they want to whinge.

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[–] skeletorhitz 12 years ago

exactly.

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[–] metalaxi 12 years ago

No, he didn't. He asked "did they film this movie in chernobyl ?", so where do you see that he wants to know where in Serbia and Hungary it was filmed?
Nowhere. It's a simple yes or no question.

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[–] JoshuaEight 12 years ago

it was a very fair question to ask. I looked at the film locations link and still wonder. The set was brilliant and I can only gather that it was a real vacant set of apartment blocks etc that have been left in ruin. I don't think the budget of this movie would have allowed for anything else.

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[–] The-Bibb 12 years ago

i think it was filmed in the actual ruins of the city... after watching this tonight i looked up some pictures of the city and recognize some locations and landmarks in the movie... like Joshua said... the budget wouldn't allow them to build all that *beep* i say it's legit!!!

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[–] Radalan 12 years ago

Highly doubtful any filming would be allowed in Chernobyl.

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[–] thunderztorm 12 years ago

Good thing the movie is in Pripyat, the city close to Chernobyl, which has been open to the general public (via guided tours) for some years now.

Filming/photographs are quite allowed, it's a tourist attraction like many others.

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[–] emmaandeve 12 years ago

We are discussing films! Really no need to insult each other.

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[–] ztraybllet 12 years ago

and hence starting this here little idiotism?

It's 'stating', not 'starting'. Also, the sentence makes no sense. But then, the OP, and probably everybody else, is an idiot. Sorry, I forgot.

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[–] bigfooteee99 12 years ago

According to Wikipedia, it was filmed on location in Pripyat.

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[–] Thirdover4 12 years ago

It was filmed on an abandoned Soviet military base in Serbia.

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[–] kev-258 12 years ago

I've researched this, I've paused the dvd and compared it to known real life photos of pripyat. there is only one recognisable landmark in the movie and that would be the ferris wheel. Do this for yourself and you will notice that the ferris-wheel in the movie, none of the ferris-wheel compartments have seats, yet in real life recent photos almost all of them have seats that are clearly visible. It's likely the film company re-created the ferris-wheel to almost detail! I bet this cost them a lot. also the ferris-wheel is missing the emergency lader that recent real life photos clearly show. RESULT = NOT FILMED IN PRIPYAT!

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[–] BeinMysef 12 years ago

i highly doubt they would film on location. seems that they would find another location as that would be the safest thing to do, plus its not too difficult to add in look alike time faded landmarks. It was highly unlikely this movie was filed in pripyat... like u said.

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[–] the1st 12 years ago

You don't even have to look that closely. The ferris wheel in Pripyat has about 22 cabin things whereas the one in the movie only has about 12 and is basically much smaller overall...

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[–] crowess_spawn 12 years ago

According to Wikipedia, it was filmed on location in Pripyat.

first of all, bigfooteee99 , you're using Wikipedia as your source of valuable information.
second of all, nowhere on Wikipedia does it say this was "filmed on location in Pripyat". it clearly states it was in fact filmed in Hungary and Serbia, which, OP, is where this movie was filmed, not Chernobyl.

Those are not filming locations per se. Those are countries.

I don't know if you actually checked out that section yourself, but OP was clearly interested to know where in Serbia and Hungary it was filmed.

Radalan, those most certainly are filming locations. just because they don't list a specific city doesn't make them any less of a filming location listing.

also, again, he did not ask or mean "where in Serbia and Hungary was this filmed?", at least not the way the question was posted. he could have meant it that way, but we're not mind readers. we can only take things at face value on the internet.

The-Bibb, just no. if you think this was filmed on the ruins of Pripyat, you're crazy. yes you recognize things from the actual city, but they're reproductions. that's what a lot of movies do, so why not this one?

Good thing the movie is in Pripyat, the city close to Chernobyl, which has been open to the general public (via guided tours) for some years now.

Filming/photographs are quite allowed, it's a tourist attraction like many others.

except that this wasn't filmed in Pripyat, thunderztorm. and that fact has been pointed out many times. so while your information is correct, except for the being in Pripyat part.

DigtotheDug, outstanding find. thank you for the information.

In the middle of Chernobyl. It was a 3-month shooting. They were even allowed to go into the reactor and everything!

oh are you ever wrong, maniuis. so I hope you're just being funny.

I think I covered everything. so finally, filmed in Serbia and Hungary, not Pripyat and Chernobyl.

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[–] DigtotheDug 12 years ago

After reading some of the more nasty replies on this thread, I found this interview with Brad Parker explaining why they couldn't film in Pripyat.

http://www.dailycampus.com/focus/a-glimpse-at-the-chernobyl-diaries-1.2873540#.UIruVoYvlBE

"We tried to actually get into Pripyat, but it was shut down to tourism; we couldn’t even walk through the city when we were scouting. What we were able to find, was in and around the city of Belgrade in Serbia and outside the city of Budapest in Hungary, some really phenomenal locations that are just very, very similar architecturally and in scope and scale and in the level of decay. It was a long scout, but I was absolutely thrilled with a lot of the places that we found."

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[–] kev-258 12 years ago

Thank you for the info DigtotheDug :) The film makers must have gone to some lengths to find a filming location.

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[–] mimosveta 12 years ago

Seriously, there are bunch of industrial/mining cities in Serbia that are now nearly entirely ghost towns. I guess it worked good for filmmakers. At least they are good for something.___Anyone who has ever read any spoilers,knows that Winter Is Coming

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[–] majstor_dane-517-462758 12 years ago

I was curious about that question by myself, so I did little research about that and found this from Oren Peli's interview: "... the Ukrainian government stopped allowing people to go on those tours in 2011. Now they opened it again. Now you can go back. But during the time that we were developing the movie, they wouldn't let anyone in and we didn't know, should we wait? For how long is it going to be? Is it going to be a few months? Is it forever? So we had to have a different plan and that's when we found the locations that we ended up shooting in Serbia and Hungary and using CGI and set dressing, we kind of managed to recreate it fairly accurately..."

Also, there is a video on YouTube about making of "Chernobyl Diaries"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgMZKX6q8Do

and many persons from the crew speaks Serbian very well, so I guess that info on IMDB about filming location is legit.

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed when I read this information because the location looked very realistic ones with pictures of Pripyat, which I found on the internet. But that just shows how much the creators of this film have been successful to present a genuine atmosphere and assure us that everything happened there, in Pripyat.

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[–] [email protected] 12 years ago

There was a credit in the film for 'Stock footage photos of Chernobyl by....' so I guess the combination of the excellent deserted locations themselves, plus stock footage and a bit of CG = convincing Chernobyl.

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[–] rich300 12 years ago

Semi-related to the filming location, I'm curious about the huge art-work on the side of the apartment block where the van is parked outside.

Is it actually a copy of original art work on the side of a Pripyat building (similar to copying other noticeable visuals such as the ferris-wheel, nuclear plant etc)?

The painting looks like a woman with a raised fist in the air. Hoping to get some information about it if any of you guys know.

I can only find a night-time version of the picture - http://www.wordofthenerdonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Chernobyl-Diaries-Trailer.jpg

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[–] maniuis 12 years ago

In the middle of Chernobyl. It was a 3-month shooting. They were even allowed to go into the reactor and everything!

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[–] ghstbstr 12 years ago

You can't go in to the reactor without radiation suits, and they just won't let everyone to go in it.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] antonioapi 12 years ago

The Prypat scenes were filmed in Belgrade in Serbia.

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[–] davinci-tool 12 years ago

Unable to film in the real Pripyat due to still-present nuclear dust from the Chernobyl disaster, Peli and his crew had to find alternatives and opted for an abandoned Soviet Air Force Base and tunnels under Belgrade, Serbia. Also, Parts of movie were shot in underground tunnels used as Nazi headquarters in World War Two, according to producer.

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[–] hatr 12 years ago

It is a valid question and despite some initial rudeness in response it is good thgat answers have been forthcoming.
I found the setting very interesting

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[–] ianas 12 years ago

OK there wore newer any Soviet air bases in Belgrade or anywhere in the former Yu, an Abandoned Yugoslav Air base yes as the current Serbian air force consists of 1 Mig, an abandoned Soviet Air base in Hungary (Budapest) maybe, the Soviets and the Yugoslavs wore enemies during the cold war, and they almost had a hot war in the late 40's early 50's. They didn't have any diplomatic relations until the late 60's early 70's.
Sorry about this replay but you guys mentioned this a lot and seam to be a bit knowledgeable about some facts (using the term Soviets and not Russians) but...

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