Nightcrawler: Where Was Jake Gyllenhaal Movie Filmed?

of Nightcrawler: Where Was Jake Gyllenhaal Movie Filmed? Dhruv Sharma
Updated August 5, 2022
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Photo Credit: ORF

Set in the underbelly of Los Angeles, ‘Nightcrawler’ walks viewers through the dark world of TV journalism. Centering on a newbie news stringer named Lou, it shows how he is willing to defy his morals only to stay afloat in the cutthroat news industry. Jake Gyllenhaal’s brilliant performance adds a new layer of realism to Lou Bloom’s dark characterization. The movie makes a character out of its LA setup by portraying it as a jungle where one has to cross all moralistic boundaries for survival.

Nightcrawler Filming Locations

Financed by Bold Films, ‘Nightcrawler’ was filmed at a budget of  $8.5 million, out of which $2.3 million came from the California Film Tax Credit program. This program rewards directors for filming in California. Although the budget was much lower than the filmmakers had anticipated, all three Gilroy brothers got involved in the movie’s production and effectively used their limited resources. Since the movie draws some inspiration from the lives of the Raishbrook brothers, who are real-life stringers in Los Angeles, it was entirely filmed in Los Angeles itself.

Los Angeles, California

Before initiating the filming, the movie’s crew spent two days scouting locations that would ideally come in tandem with the script. Once this was done, the principal photography began on October 6, 2013, and went on for 27 days. Now, if one can recall well, all the movie’s events occur at night. So, it was a very challenging for the film crew to finish their shooting within the limited amount of time they had. Reportedly, ‘Nightcrawler’ was filmed across 80 locations in Los Angeles, and the production had to be moved to many different spots almost every night. As confirmed by Gilroy in the audio commentary of the movie’s Blu-ray edition, the movie’s filming was wrapped up minutes before sunrise almost every day.

Although the movie’s action ensues on the streets of LA, Louis Bloom’s apartment becomes a prominent part of the movie’s script. This apartment is located at Figueroa Terrace, Echo Park. After quickly learning about the stringer business, Louis contacts KWLA- a local TV station. All the scenes depicting the headquarters of the TV station were filmed at KTLA Studios – 5858 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. Another significant scene of the movie is where Bloom shows his obsession with his job by altering a crime scene for his benefit. This scene was shot at Mulholland Drive, Hollywood Hills. The scene depicting Rick’s interview with Louis has Dinah’s Family Restaurant – 6521 S. Sepulveda Blvd as its backdrop. The final scene where Loius watches Rick die was shot at Laurel Canyon Boulevard, North Hollywood.

Other major filming locations of the movie include Chinatown Express – 252 S Western Ave, Ocean Front Walk at Venice Beach, 1st Ave & Western Ave, Interstate 105 at El Segundo, Studio City Shell Station – 12007 Ventura Boulevard, Sun Valley, and Los Angeles Police Department at Hollywood Station – 1358 Wilcox Ave. 

Jake Gyllenhaal injured his hand while filming the scene where he lashes out on his mirror.

Here are a few stills from the movie’s sets in Los Angeles:

Read More: Best Jake Gyllenhaal Movies

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