Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed
The story is set in Hollywood between 1927 and 1932, tracing the end of the silent era. The filming was entirely modern by contrast: the production shot in the Los Angeles area in 2010 and 2011, using real studios, downtown theaters, and Hancock Park streets to recreate the earlier period. Almost nothing needed to be faked elsewhere, because enough genuine 1920s architecture still stands in the city.
The Studio Side
Three major studio sites were involved. Paramount Studios in Hollywood and Warner Bros. Burbank Studios contributed facilities, while Red Studios Hollywood, formerly known as Ren-Mar, doubled as the fictional Kinograph Studios and had previously appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit as Maroon Studios. None of these studio sites is casually visitable on its own, though organized studio tours can take visitors onto historic lots.
Tours That Visit These Locations
One bookable tour connects directly to the film's studio work.
Paramount Studio Backlot Tour
Paramount Pictures Studio Tour
This Paramount Pictures studio tour includes the New York Street backlot, part of the same historic Hollywood lot where The Artist did some of its shooting, alongside working sound stages and nearly a century of film history.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where Was The Artist filmed?
The Artist was filmed entirely in the Los Angeles area, at downtown theaters such as the Orpheum and Los Angeles Theatre, the Bradbury Building, Hancock Park mansions, and studio facilities including Paramount, Warner Bros. Burbank, and Red Studios Hollywood.
When was The Artist filmed?
Principal photography ran from October 2010 to November 2010, with additional dates into 2011. The entire shoot took only 35 days in Los Angeles after the director pushed to film on authentic locations.
Can you visit the mansions from The Artist?
No. Both Peppy's mansion at 56 Fremont Place and George's mansion at 104 Fremont Place sit inside a gated community with no public access. Peppy's house was once home to silent film star Mary Pickford.
Which filming locations are free to visit?
The Bradbury Building lobby is open to the public during business hours, and the Hancock Park streets used for the film's exterior scenes can be viewed by driving through the residential neighborhood. Most other sites require tickets or offer no access.
Why was The Artist filmed in Los Angeles?
Director Michel Hazanavicius insisted on Los Angeles rather than cheaper Eastern European locations in order to authentically capture the look and feel of 1920s Hollywood, drawing on real theaters, mansions, and studio architecture.
Is The Artist a silent film?
Almost. It was shot almost entirely silent in black and white, with audible sound only in the final scene and one other brief moment, a choice that mirrors its story about the transition from silents to talkies.
Few films offer such a compact trail of real locations. In a single day, a visitor can walk the Bradbury Building staircase, catch an event at the Orpheum or the Ebell, dine at the Cicada, and drive past the Hancock Park streets that doubled for 1920s Hollywood. Add a studio tour for the backlot side of the production and the map of The Artist is nearly complete.
