If you’re a fan of the classic holiday movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” you’ll likely remember the iconic scene where Clark Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, brings home a massive Christmas tree. But have you ever wondered where that scene was filmed?
Well, wonder no more! We’ve done the research and have all the details for you.
First things first: The Christmas tree scene in “Christmas Vacation” was actually filmed on a soundstage in Burbank, California. That’s right – despite the snowy setting of the film (which takes place in Chicago), this particular scene was not shot on location.
But just because it wasn’t filmed outside doesn’t mean it wasn’t a complicated production. In fact, it took quite a bit of work to bring that enormous tree to life on screen.
To start with, the filmmakers had to find a tree big enough to make an impact. According to director Jeremiah S. Chechik, they ended up using a 60-foot-tall Douglas fir that was sourced from a lot in Los Angeles.
Once they had the tree, they had to figure out how to get it into Clark’s house – and how to make it look like it was too big for the space. To do this, they used a number of tricks.
One of those tricks was using forced perspective. This is a technique where objects are placed at different distances from the camera (or viewer) to create an illusion of depth and size. In this case, they positioned actors closer to the camera and made sure the branches at the top of the tree were closer as well.
They also used an artificial floor above Clark’s real floor to make it look like his living room ceiling was higher than it actually was. This allowed them to fit more of the tree into frame and make it seem even bigger.
Of course, none of this would have worked without some clever editing as well. Shots of the tree being carried into the house were intercut with shots of Clark’s family reacting to it, which helped to build up the suspense and make the moment even funnier.
So while the Christmas tree scene in “Christmas Vacation” wasn’t filmed on location, it was still a complex and impressive feat of filmmaking. And now you know all the behind-the-scenes details that went into making it happen.
In conclusion:
If you’re a fan of “Christmas Vacation,” you’ll likely remember the iconic scene where Clark Griswold brings home a massive Christmas tree. While this scene wasn’t filmed on location in Chicago, it was still an impressive feat of filmmaking that involved forced perspective, clever editing, and an enormous Douglas fir sourced from Los Angeles. Now that you know all the behind-the-scenes details, you can appreciate this classic moment even more!