faking Oregon (WA, etc)
 

hey mangs-- starting the long planning stage for a project. Need ideas for locs in the southeastern US that might double for temperate rainforest-y, green, fern-cloaked Pacific Northwest. Lack of budget requires shooting in the south (GA, NC etc). Does'nt need to be *scientifically* close, just photographically suggestive of the PNW.

Any locals have input?

Best,

MRP

I grew up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (same mountain range as GA and NC). I've been through Oregon and Washington on the train a couple times (awesome and gorgeous sightseeing for a train ride!). One of the differences between the mountains in the East and West is that the mountains in the East are older, a little more worn down by the elements, so the landscape is perhaps slightly more "rounded" on the whole in the East. You might try to avoid "gentler" landscapes. Also, there are vast (really huge) sections of the PNW that are all but untouched by civilization, much more so than in the East. You might look to find some areas where you could have absolutely no evidence of civilization in your framing (if that would make sense for your project). I'd suggest getting yourself a bunch of photos taken in Oregon and Washington, and look for places to shoot, that seem similar to the photos (take a bunch of photos with you when you're out and about, driving around).

There are places in and around the Great Smokey Mountains National park (I used to live about 40 min away) on the Carolina side that would work. They are very lush and damp, but to anyone who really knows the Northwest they are going to look rather different. Of course a lot depends on the story.

Have you considered Canada?

Have you noticed that on Stargate SG-1 that most alien worlds look remarkably like Canada?

Peter,Michael said south.I think your holding your compass wrong.
I like Roberts thought on using photos and Peter's right, parks are an excellent source of varied scenes.

Did you know that New York, Detroit, LA, and many European cities were modeled after Vancouver too? :)

I don't know of any specific locations, but I have a few ideas that might help. I lived in Oregon for 7 years.

Try to get DARK colors on the ground. The wet climate causes the duff layer (top layer of stuff on the ground) to start decaying pretty quickly so its all dark and damp.

Shoot on gray, overcast days if you can. Unless your scene is set in the summer- then go for bright, sunny days with lots of contrast. It hardly rains at all in the summer.

Avoid scenes with HEAVY rain. That only happens in the mountains- the hardest rains in Portland were more like what I'd have called a medium drizzle growing up in Ohio. No dumping, sheeting storms or lighting.

Shoot right after a rain for that authentic, always wet look. Or wet stuff down with a hose if that's a possibility.

Avoid natural scenes with lots of different types of plants in them. The PNW actually has very few different types of plants in any given bioregion- its just not as diverse as the eastern states unless you change altitude.

Dress your actors in wool and raincoats and make their skin pale if they're caucasion. I've never been so pastey white as when I lived up there.

Under expose just a little more than you might want and oversaturate a little bit. See if that helps give you the dark, rich atmosphere of the PNW rain forest climate.

Just some ideas.

Take care,
Chris

I think I know which way is South . . . Micheal said that they were going to the southeast for budget reasons. Canada can work for low budgets too which is why so much is shot there, e.g. Stargate.

canadians.. so willing to whore themselves out for an american buck

You could probably fake out people who come from places like Manhattan Island, with ersatz Southern substitutes for Oregon landscapes, but you'd never fool folks like me, who've lived here all their lives. It'd be like getting Jerry Seinfeld to play The Incredible Hulk. Actually, I spent 3 years in the Army in Alabama and Georgia and kept trying to find some place that looked enough like Oregon to ease my homesickness. I was still looking when I got discharged. You'd best make a movie that has plot and action so dynamic, that no one will notice the backdrop.

Smoky Mtn. Natl. Park was the first that came to mind but Black Rock Mountain State Park in the NE corner of GA might be another possibility. It gets a lot of rainfall. Deciduous forest but not much in the way of old growth. Also plenty of ferns in some areas.