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Original Message
"Flash Sidewars Lost locations"
Posted by Outfrontgirl on 04-13-10 at 06:32 PM
We all know LOST films on Oahu, but the island scenes seem to be on any island. However, the Flash Sideways (flashbacks, flash forwards) show us spots on Oahu that are supposed to pass as LA. Back in the early LOST, they went to some trouble to keep their non-island scenes from looking too Hawai'i, but lately they seem not to care.

As an example, the airport scene. Anyone who has been to Oahu would recognize the area where they catch the taxis; that is so Honolulu airport. I haven't been to LAX for many years, but I would think it is a bigger scale airport.

Not sure if anyone is interested, but here's a little info on locations we saw in Desmond's episode. The scene with the car going into the marina kind of blew me away because it is such a recognizable location, and personally it doesn't look like LA to me. Does it look like LA to you?

If you still have the episode, take a look at the high-rises behind the Marina. I grew up in LA and I have no memory of high-rises on the ocean like that.

They shot the scene at the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, adjacent to Hilton Hawaiian Village. The Hawai'i Prince Hotel Wakiki is very prominent in the background as the car is upended and sinking, and while not as iconic as the Pink Palace on Waikiki beach, a whole lot of visitors to Waikiki will be familiar with this scene.

http://www.pbase.com/justrollthedice/waikiki&page=4

http://www.hawaiiweb.com/html/ala_wai_yacht_harbor.html

With the driving scenes, it helps that both California and Hawai'i currently use white license plates. I noticed they did put a California plate on Desmond's car, so they haven't entirely stopped trying.

BISHOP MUSEUM

Mrs. Widmore's charity luncheon prep was shot in front of the Bishop Museum of Honolulu. This is the most important museum in Hawai'i. I love this building. The lava rock materials -- you don't see anything like it these days.

They kept the shot framed low enough so that the peak of the museum didn't show, with it's noticeable signage. They could have brushed out the signage, but they avoided it.

One thing I notice is that unless a person knows Hawaiian plants, all the palm trees and bougainvillea lend themselves to looking reasonably like LA. Many of the plants do not grow on the mainland, like the big lauhala plant that Desmond stands near on the party grounds.

If you look at the rock wall behind Desmond and Daniel, another example of lava rock -- not a common building material in LA.

So I'm curious, when you're watching it, do you see "LA" or do you ever see Hawai'i peeking through?

Don't get me wrong; I'm not ragging on them. I admire the way they have found so many diverse locations on Oahu to pose as locations around the world! I actually enjoy being able to recognize some of them.


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Messages in this discussion
"RE: Flash Sidewars Lost locations"
Posted by zombiebaby on 04-13-10 at 08:40 PM
mmm...Royal Hawaiian is my most favorite place to have a very early breakfast in the world. Pricey? Sure but so worth it.

"RE: Flash Sidewars Lost locations"
Posted by Tummy on 04-14-10 at 10:18 AM
I said to Rob - that's the Bishop museum when Desmond showed up. I notice all the Hawaiian landmarks but I think if I not ever been I wouldn't pay attention.
"RE: Flash Sidewars Lost locations"
Posted by Snidget on 04-14-10 at 10:42 AM
Sadly I have not been to Oahu enough to be able to recognize anything. Last time I was there I was 10.

Thanks for all the pictures.


If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity. - Bill Vaughan

"RE: Flash Sidewars Lost locations"
Posted by Flowerpower on 04-14-10 at 12:45 PM
Thanks for answering some of my questions, OFG.

In a word, no, to me I can not tell where they are shooting. I have even pondered this as I see the flash sideways filming...the residential neighborhood where Nadia lived, the scenes that were shot with Jack and his son, the scenes with Kate on the run, the scenes with Sawyer and Sayid...?

I saw those scenes with Desmond and Charlie and I was thinking that it could indeed be in LA. I was in LA once and I remember admiring all of the marinas especially in the Marina Del Ray area...I was thinking that it could indeed be there. I have never been to Oahu, but I have been to LAX, and, I was thinking that the airport looked smaller, but definitely, it passes.

I was thinking when I saw Hurley and Libby on the beach last night, that it could be in LA or in Hawaii....

thanks for the info on the sets!


"RE: Flash Sidewars Lost locations"
Posted by trigirl on 04-14-10 at 01:59 PM
Having never been to either, I am no expert. But I too feel that they are hiding Hawaii less and less. The police station where Des picked up Charlie, come'on? The plant life? I don't remember any of this stuff in the flashbacks...just in the flashsideways.

"RE: Flash Sidewars Lost locations"
Posted by CTgirl on 04-14-10 at 02:45 PM
Having been to neither Hawaii nor Los Angeles, I'm not that familiar with the scenery so I haven't wondered where the actual location is. In general though, I am getting the feeling from this season that the writing and filming is rushed which is rather odd since it's the last season and theoretically C&L should have had plenty of time to wrap things up (like 3 years!). Things like Hawaii poking its visuals through the L.A. stories fits into that feeling.


"RE: Flash Sidewars Lost locations"
Posted by Outfrontgirl on 04-15-10 at 00:36 AM
Great feedback, guys.

I've been around all these plants for some years now so they don't ring the "exotic" bell in my head, so it's good to hear from people who aren't used to them that they do stand out.

I guess LA does have hotels on beaches, bot not at this density. City center is not near the beach. Here's a pic of how dense Waikiki is, and how high.

I don't live in Oahu and actually I've only been to Waikiki twice. I thought maybe the picnic scene with Hurley/Libby was Waikiki because of the high dense buildings blurred out in the background, but the shoreline curve didn't fit, nor the street right by the beach. Waikiki has an area where the street is close, but it's at the end of the hotel row, so we wouldn't see the skyline behind them there. Also it has man made breakwaters and it doesn't curve.

Finally figured out they must be at Ala Moana Beach Park, just on the other side of the marina where they sank the car. Does this look right?

Waikiki behind when shooting towards Libby. You can see the little wall along the sand that is visible when Desmond stalks them.

If they panned over to the right we would see Diamond Head, but that would be too much.

Shooting towards Hurley, away from Waikiki:

I knew I had it right when I saw that building that was behind him, and the sea wall.

They went so far as to make it more LA by making all the people near the couple have good bikini bodies. I noticed some of the people walking by had denim short shorts. I guess that's an LA look. You don't see denim in Waikiki.

Waikiki has its share of people who look good, but it also has people of all shapes and lots of kids. There are as many sunburns on white tourists as there are bronzed beach lovers. Here's the more common beach body:

So that's this week's location....