Behind the Scenes: "The Avengers" in Albuquerque, NM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Albuquerque, New Mexico played a big role in the making of Marvel Studios' box office smash The Avengers. Over 75% of the film, including many of the jaw-dropping scenes that were shot in front of the green screen, took place at the state-of-the-art Albuquerque Studios; while an additional 5% of the movie was shot at nearby locations around the city. That's pretty extraordinary for an action-packed film of this magnitude to be mostly shot in one location. So, how did they do it?

Albuquerque Studios boasts eight enormous sound stages, some of the biggest in the world, and The Avengers used six of them. They built the elaborate Helicarrier, or the flying aircraft, stretching across two stages that are nearly as big as a football field, with an intricate control station to boot. It's a focal point in the movie, and took nearly five months to build. According to Dana Arnold, CEO of Pacifica Ventures – the parent company who designed, built and operates Albuquerque Studios, "There is no other purpose-built stage on Earth where the massive sets created by the Marvel team could have been built."

Another set featured in the movie is Tony Stark's, or Iron Man's, high-rise apartment. The set stood more than three stories tall, yet there was still plenty of room overhead for lights and rigging in the massive ABQ soundstages.

"We are seeing a trend in filmmaking," says ABQ VP Ruth Caruso, "Audiences are demanding bigger, more spectacular visuals from tentpole studio films which are achieved through spectacular set designs and stunts that in turn need huge sound stages and integrated facilities like ABQ."

In total, about ten different sets were built at Albuquerque Studios, keeping the cast and crew busy for ten months from November 2010 to August 2011. It took hundreds of local vendors, from lumber mills to craft services, to build one of the most impressive sets ever seen on the big screen.  

According to Executive Producer Patricia Whitcher…

For more information and to read the rest of the press release, go to http://ballantinespr.com/News/Pacifica_Ventures/avengers.html.

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SOURCE Albuquerque Studios