Fire rages at Universal Studios in L.A.

Illinoisguy1 · 01 Jun 08 :: 15:43

Watching the news and they are showing a huge fire at Universal Studios backlot in L.A. this morning.

There are some reports that are saying that the fire may endanger the Universal film vaults.

Being a film buff, I really hope that they can save the films. The backlots can be rebuilt, but the films can never be replaced if they are damaged/destroyed.

I remember the fire many years ago that destroyed a portion of the backlot. If I remember right it destroyed the Back to the Future town square.

Illinoisguy1 · 01 Jun 08 :: 16:09

MSNBC is saying the Kong ride is involved in the fire as well as "a film vault".

One buildings roof has completely collapsed.

Illinoisguy1 · 01 Jun 08 :: 16:18

I'm watching MSNBC and they are showing a large building on fire and through 2 side doors they are showing lines on firemen carrying out white canisters of some sort. Looks like they are trying to save as much as they can out of the building as they can before the fire destroys it completely. I would assume that they are indeed films.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 01 Jun 08 :: 19:51

Wow, that's nuts! Sure hope they don't lose anything really valuable from the vault.

Illinoisguy1 · 01 Jun 08 :: 20:41

http://www.filmmakersdestination.com/working/search.cgi

On the pull down menu select King Kong - 6194. That is the area that was destroyed/damaged by the fire. Notice building #6197, that was the film vault that was damaged/destroyed.

I've also heard that the BTTF square was either damaged/destroyed as well, including the Clock Tower.

Basically the New England & New York street backlots were destroyed.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 01 Jun 08 :: 20:53

Very sad.

Illinoisguy1 · 01 Jun 08 :: 21:55

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A large fire tore through a back lot at Universal Studios early Sunday, destroying a set from "Back to the Future," the King Kong exhibit and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels. The blaze broke out on a backlot sound stage around 4:30 a.m. Sunday at the 400-acre property, but was contained later in the day, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said.

Photos of the fire.
http://laist.com/2008/06/01/photo_essay_uni.php

Simon · 01 Jun 08 :: 22:10

So very sad.

OhGnarly · 02 Jun 08 :: 08:13

I can't believe they lost the Back to the Future courthouse

TheCentralScrutinizer · 02 Jun 08 :: 15:33

I saw it on TV last night, finally. It was a huge fire. I'm surprised the damage wasn't worse.

Illinoisguy1 · 02 Jun 08 :: 15:52

Am I the only one who thinks they should store the film/videos further away from the backlot? Perhaps even miles away. They've had at least 3 recent fires, including this one, on the backlot. So they are fully aware of the danger. So why store such valuable items so close to a potential future fire?

I know they probably would like to have them close by, but I'm sure there is someplace close by where they could store them at.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 02 Jun 08 :: 16:00

Yeah, they really should. Uni is not the only studio to have a fire on the back lot either. Paramount had at least one that I remember because they were shooting Star Trek IV at the time, and Nimoy likes to make fun of how Shatner jumped into the fray with the firemen, "That's our Bill," he famously said.

TheCentralScrutinizer · 02 Jun 08 :: 23:38

Good news about the negatives from Studio Briefing Today...

Towering Inferno At Universal
Universal Studios provided the setting for a remake of The Towering Inferno Sunday as balls of fire and billowing smoke rose hundreds of feet into the sky over the historic studio -- none of it created by special-effects personnel. The blaze destroyed several sets and a warehouse containing about 40,000 videos. Studio officials said that the original negatives and/or duplicates were stored at a different location and that the lost videos could eventually be replaced. The Universal Studios theme park, which was shut down by the fire, was due to reopen today (Monday), but tourists riding the tram through the studio's lot would probably see the charred remains of some historic outdoor sets. A small building through which the tram passes on the studio tour in which King Kong appears to attack the tram, which jiggles and rocks, was also destroyed. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Illinoisguy1 · 07 Jun 08 :: 19:46

Looks like it may have been worse then we thought.

EXCLUSIVE: I've confirmed what I first heard on Monday: that Universal Classics has sent out an email to about 35 art house exhibitors and other film bookers of classic films alerting that the Universal Studios fire destroyed nearly 100% of archived 35mm prints kept in the so-called "video" vault on the lot. So, in the short term, Universal has canceled bookings of anything archival coming directly from Universal City and can't honor any film bookings of prints that were set to ship from there. Let me be clear: I am assured by insiders that the negatives are not affected, thankfully -- only the actual 35mm prints used for repertory circulation of classic films. Prints from that very rich vault which also includes pre-1950 Paramount include such classics as Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, Duck Soup, Hell's Angels, Brides of Dracula, Incredible Shrinking Man, Buck Privates, Hold That Ghost, and so many, many more. Some Industry types are emailing me that, with these prints gone, and the expense of making new prints, they fear that art houses and cultural organizations and film societies and festivals may never see these films theatrically again. But I'm told that Universal has already committed itself to making new prints. Of course, there will be delay and disappointment in the immediate future. But that's only a timing issue. I'm told it's possible that some of these prints may have duplicates in storage at other locations. So, over the next few weeks and months, Universal will be piecing together what extra prints, if any, it does have elsewhere. I still can't get a straight answer to all your questions about why the video vault wasn't fireproof. In part because the Uni people just sound completely frazzled still about the fire's aftermath. But Universal does have an extraordinary history as a leader in film preservation. Still, Hollywood must, repeat must, do everything to preserve its history. So everyone try harder, spend more, and just do it.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/u … -affected/

MONDAY AM UPDATE: Universal Music just gave me a "clarification" on my report regarding UMG's vault and the Universal Studio fire on Sunday: "Thankfully, there was little lost from UMG's vault. A majority of what was formerly stored there was moved earlier this year to our other facilities. Of the small amount that was still there and waiting to be moved, it had already been digitized so the music will still be around for many years to come. And in addition to being digitized, physical back up copies of what was still left at that location were made and stored elsewhere. So thankfully, smart care, administration and preparation of these gems prevailed." So let me get this straight: first there's no report of irreplaceable damage at the Universal Studios vault, then I find out there's musical history destruction because of a rental agreement with Universal Music, and now execs it's only "a little" and not a problem. Funny, because my insiders insist it's a BIG problem. Universal Music claims that over the past year it had been moving master recordings of its "big name" musical artists to the giant Iron Mountain, Pennsylvania vault -- the same one used by Bill Gates and Microsoft. What was left, Universal Music contends, was only "more obscure artists from the '40s and the early '50s." My final thought: the public may never know the truth.
SUNDAY: It looks like more was damaged or destroyed in today's Universal Studios fire than anyone previously thought. I've learned that Universal Music, which is a completely separate company and owned by Vivendi (which owns 20% of NBC Universal), rents space in the huge video vault housed on the studio lot. But one source tells me that, as a consequence, inside the video vault that was billowing thick black smoke were 1000's of original Decca, MCA, ABC recording masters from the last century including a wide range of music from Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters to Judy Garland and The Carpenters. "This is a tremendous loss in music history. A very sad day indeed. It's too bad they saved the videos that they have backups on instead of the master recordings in which they do not, although they may not have had a choice since the fire had already engulfed much of the music side of the vault," a source just told me. Universal Studios can't confirm what has been damaged or destroyed music-wise at this point because it doesn't yet know what exactly was housed in the storage rented to Universal Music.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/u … c-history/

TheCentralScrutinizer · 08 Jun 08 :: 18:23

Damn, that sucks!

Illinoisguy1 · 14 Jun 08 :: 09:54

Here is a link to some pics of the fire's aftermath.

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnoth … tml#cutid1

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#1 01 Jun 08 :: 15:43

Fire rages at Universal Studios in L.A.

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