Fire at Universal Studios

[Ed Mahmoud]

Not sure why firefighters still on the roof of a large studio building that is absolutely engulfed. I'd fear a collapse with the way that fire is burning.

[lurkey]

live video: http://www.knbc.com/videostream/10954229/detail.html

[dizzyfish]

Yikes! Looks like part of the roof already gave way.

More video... http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/page ... geId=1.1.1

[JonathanBelles]

Geez....they had a small one a little while back at IOA, and they had a bear in City Walk a few days ago...lol

(Both of which were here in orlando...I didnt notice this was in Hollywood)

[JonathanBelles]

I have a small (VERY sad) update from the IOA boards. It seems that both the Kongfrontation and the Back to the Future sets have been heavily damaged or completely destroyed in the backlots. Also the Bates Hotel from the movie Psycho was destroyed. Many memories of many people going up in smoke.

Ive also now (unconfirmed) heard that part of the video vault was damage, which is a MUCH worse loss than the sets.

[lurkey]

Ive also now (unconfirmed) heard that part of the video vault was damage, which is a MUCH worse loss than the sets.

This is why this stuff needs to be digitalized and backups kept in separate places.

[brunota2003]

A fire at Hollywood on a Sunday morning...hmmm

[JonathanBelles]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A fire at Universal Studios has destroyed a set from "Back to the Future," the King Kong exhibit and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels.

Los Angeles County fire Captain Frank Reynoso says the blaze broke out just before dawn Sunday on a backlot stage at the 400-acre property. The fire has been contained.

Officials say the iconic courthouse square from "Back to the Future," has been destroyed, and the famous clocktower that enabled star Michael J. Fox's character to time travel has been damaged.

NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer says 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the video vault, but there are duplicates in a different location.

[CajunMama]

According to news articles they were shooting a commercial when the fire broke out. The MTV award show is still being held tonight as planned.

Fire at Universal Studios destroys "Back to the Future" set, King Kong exhibit and video vault


A thick column of smoke rises from a fire on a back lot at Universal Studios in Universal City, north of Los Angeles, Calif., Sunday, June 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
06-01-2008 1:16 PM
By GREG RISLING, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (Associated Press) -- 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 in a set featuring New York brownstones facades 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.

Roughly 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the vault, but there were duplicates stored in a different location, NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer said.

"Nothing is lost forever," Meyer said.

The videos included every film that Universal has produced and footage from television series' like "Miami Vice" and "I Love Lucy." Firefighters recovered hundreds of those titles from the vault, Freeman said.

The iconic courthouse square from "Back to the Future," was also destroyed, Freeman said, and the famous clock tower that enabled star Michael J. Fox's character to time travel was damaged.

The King Kong exhibit is a stop on the studio's tram tour where the giant ape bellows at passengers and artificial banana scent fills the area, studio spokesman Eliot Sekuler said.

Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Daryl Jacobs said as many as three blocks of movie facades were destroyed, including two mock New York and New England streets used for filmmaking and tourist displays.

A commercial shoot was going on when the fire broke out, Sekuler said. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Universal Studios is located nine miles north of downtown Los Angeles that has thrill rides and a back lot where movies and television shows are filmed. One of the more familiar back lot attractions is the house featured in "Psycho."

Scenes from several blockbuster films and television shows have been filmed at the studios, including "War of the Worlds," "When Harry met Sally" and "Scrubs."

The fire however will not affect the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, which is to broadcast live Sunday night from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, according to the music network.

Meyer said the park would open at noon Sunday, and on a typical weekend day about 25,000 people visit the theme park. However, tram tours would avoid the King Kong attraction, Sekuler said.

More than 100 firefighters try to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby brush. A thick column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air and for a time helicopters swept in to drop water. Three firefighters had minor injuries.

Fire at Universal

[Brent]

and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels.

Yikes.

Can't believe they wouldn't have backups for that stuff.

[JonathanBelles]

and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels.

Yikes.

Can't believe they wouldn't have backups for that stuff.

The most likely do, probably in Orlando or at another location.

[lurkey]

and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels.

Yikes.

Can't believe they wouldn't have backups for that stuff.

A major asset of the company. . . I won't be surprised if the insurance company required duplicates be made..



URGENT! Universal Studios Back lot Fire: NYC Street scape & King Kong Destroyed; Video Vault Damaged But Film Vault Safe

A huge fire described as an "inferno" on Universal City's lower back lot broke out before dawn today and destroyed several buildings, sets and a sound stage and damaged a video vault, causing tens of millions of dollars worth of damage. "It looked like a bomb had exploded," one Burbank city official exclaimed. Among the sets damaged were the New York City and New England streets capes, and among the buildings one housing the King Kong exhibit and one sound stage. In the archives building next door, Universal employees were bringing out hundreds and hundreds of containers of video vault material hand to hand to save it from the flames. Universal Studios president/COO Ron Meyer appeared at a news conference this morning alongside fire department and city and county officials to clarify what was, and wasn't, damaged or destroyed. Calling the fire fighters "real heroes" who arrived on the scene in record time while the flames were burning out of , Meyer said he wanted to "make clear" that the theme park was not affected and would open at noon. What was damaged was the video library, he said. "But our main vault of motion picture negatives was not." In terms of the videos, "nothing irreplaceable was lost. We have duplicates. Obviously there's a lot of work to replicate what was lost, but it can be done," Meyer explained. He also said no shows or movies were affected "at all." by the fire. He noted that the TV series Ghost Whisperer uses 8 different locations and 2 were damaged but that it wouldn't hamper the show. And he said only a commercial was shooting on the New York streets scape. "We were very lucky today. It's a bad situation but it could have been worse," he concluded.

The blaze was first reported in a sound stage on the studio back lot at about 4:45 a.m., and about 400 local firefighters were helping Universal Studios' own firefighters quench the fire. Several acres on the 230-acre back lot were burning at one point, creating a black cloud over the famed Hollywood Hills. Though the fire is contained, it is still raging. According to the fire departments, the flames "blew very fast" through the area of the New York street facades, then moved through Courthouse Square where Back To The Future was shot, then engulfed the King Kong building, totally destroying its inside. Hampering firefighter efforts inside the video vault building was the thick black smoke billowing from all those plastic containers on fire. Salvage efforts involved moving "hundreds and hundreds" of videos out of that structure, while the building itself was drowned with water. Three firefighters received minor injuries, and another suffered heat exhaustion.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation. But today's inferno at Universal City is eerily burning many of the same back lot areas destroyed by a disastrous blaze in 1990. In that fire, gale-force Santa Ana winds whipped flames through the New York Street, the set used for the film Ben Hur, and most of the Courthouse Square facades. That damage was estimated at more than $50 million, and an elaborate reconstruction project took several years to rebuild the sets. The 1990 fire was officially ruled arson and reportedly deliberately set by a security guard with a cigarette lighter.

[brunota2003]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A fire at Universal Studios has destroyed a set from "Back to the Future," the King Kong exhibit and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels.

Los Angeles County fire Captain Frank Reynoso says the blaze broke out just before dawn Sunday on a backlot stage at the 400-acre property. The fire has been contained.

Officials say the iconic courthouse square from "Back to the Future," has been destroyed, and the famous clocktower that enabled star Michael J. Fox's character to time travel has been damaged.

NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer says 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the video vault, but there are duplicates in a different location.

For those who did not see this portion of the news article...

[Cyclenall]

What exactly are on those videos and reels?

[JonathanBelles]

What exactly are on those videos and reels?

Probably Universal Movies....

[Cyclenall]

What exactly are on those videos and reels?

Probably Universal Movies....

In that case, they would have backups for something like that.

[CajunMama]

Go back and read the article i posted. It answers every question that was asked.

[Ed Mahmoud]

I went on the Universal Studios tour about 35 years ago with my family, when we were visiting Disneyland.

[MGC]

Ed, were they still making slient movies then???? ....MGC

[lurkey]

What exactly are on those videos and reels?

Probably Universal Movies....

In that case, they would have backups for something like that.

The videos included every film that Universal has produced and footage from television series' like "Miami Vice" and "I Love Lucy."

They would have backups b/c these videos are major assets (e.g. major revenue-making segment). It's the older films from the early days of filmmaking and Hollywood in general (Ed's time ), which are priceless in terms of history, that I worry about.