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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: Cloverfield (1-18-08) » Cloverfield: General / Updates
[RECON] 401 Broadway footwork
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benthic
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Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 68
Location: Brooklyn, NY

 		[RECON] 401 Broadway footwork
and how the location in the trailer does not really exist
Shortly after the release of the first trailer, I decided that it would be very clever of me to head out on foot to the location depicted in the trailer and see if I could dig up any clues or helpful hints in the dissection of things. My reasoning for visiting the real-world shooting location for a film? Simply, because if I were JJ Abrhams, and were putting together a potentially awesome ARG of grandious proportions (as evidence by the destructive propertires of the trailer), I would want to hide as many easter eggs around as possible, including hiding something at the real-world location of where I filmed my trailers. More simply, because it is what I would do in the same situation.

So, I headed out one afternoon, avoiding the heat and sweltering New york humidity, to the location of the 401 Broadway building, just inside of Chinatown in southern Manhattan. All I could manage to bring with me at the time was my camera phone, so the images of the location are certainly not the quality I wish they could have been, but no matter. They speak for themselves.




Panoramic

The location depicted in the first trailer does not exist in real life. The 401 Broadway building certainly exists, of course, but the spot where the SOL head crashes to the ground and rolls to a stop does not exist in New York. With the exception of the 401 Broadway building that the SOL head first collides with, the architecture and shops at street level do not correspond with what is in the trailer. It's much more reasonable that they made a composite of the buildings and a studio set in Hollywood, so that they could simulate the effect of car's smashing, debris flying, and a crowd of people scattering about in safety. My reasoning is this: the area would be a poor environment for shooting any sort of film at night. The buildings are down-trodden and it's simply not the sort of place one generally feels comfortable being in at night, filming crew or otherwise.

So, what is the point to all of this, exactly? Not quite sure, even nearly two weeks after the pictures were first taken. Maybe it's just to confirm that no easter eggs exist in the area and that the location in the trailer, at least somewhat, exists. Maybe it's also to boast a little bit at the level of devotion some players have to the ARGs they engross themselves in, even if there's far too much straw to grasp at and not enough solid earth.

Cloverhead initiate and ARG enthusiast benthic, signing out.
EDIT: Readjusted the pictures, but I think the panorama still stretches it.

Changed fourth img to link so it wouldn't stretch the page quite so much -EG}

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:31 am
Last edited by benthic on Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
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lookatme
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 		Locations, locations...
Of course it doesn't exist. It's CGI... Rolling Eyes

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:36 am
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Vince
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Joined: 18 Jul 2007
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Location: Seattle, WA

 		@ benthic, thanks for doing that anyway. there were three filming locations in los angeles, and that's probably where they filmed the trailer, but i think what you did is useful because it provides a corrective to those of us doing map analysis to try to find rob's apartment or the location of the explosion, etc.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:43 am
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fishy
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Joined: 21 Jul 2007
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 		Could you find the street sign with "DEAD" written on the back in graffiti?

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:45 am
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benthic
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Vince wrote:
@ benthic, thanks for doing that anyway. there were three filming locations in los angeles, and that's probably where they filmed the trailer, but i think what you did is useful because it provides a corrective to those of us doing map analysis to try to find rob's apartment or the location of the explosion, etc.

Aha! Another good use of my time spent out on recon! Yes, I suppose now we can lay to rest all of that nonsense about the apartment's locale having more clues.

fishy wrote:
Could you find the street sign with "DEAD" written on the back in graffiti?

Find a screencap of it and I can hunt for it, I suppose. What's so special about a graffiti tag, though, if you already know what it says?

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:48 am
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Iamthequestion
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Joined: 12 Jul 2007
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 		did you see the marks where the head of the SOL hit the pavement?
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:50 am
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benthic
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Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 68
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Iamthequestion wrote:
did you see the marks where the head of the SOL hit the pavement?

Thanks for the patronization there, chief. I did the legwork for the benefit of the ARG community, not for sardonic comments liks yours and lookatme's. If you don't like it, then don't comment.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:52 am
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Almijisti
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Joined: 19 Jul 2007
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 		Your next assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to go back to 401 Broadway and to the textile buiding. Look around and see if there's any innocuous website or email addresses; if you can, go to the 401 Broadway lobby and see if there's anything in the building directory that looks familiar. It may have already been converted to condos, so in that case, you won't be allowed in unless there's first-floor retail. If there's still construction around, be sure to look for any stenciled, spray-painted markings or symbols on the wood shelter platforms.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:52 am
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Iamthequestion
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benthic wrote:
Iamthequestion wrote:
did you see the marks where the head of the SOL hit the pavement?

Thanks for the patronization there, chief. I did the legwork for the benefit of the ARG community, not for sardonic comments liks yours and lookatme's. If you don't like it, then don't comment.


wow didnt think you'd take it that way. i was joking man relax,
I went down there too looking for billboards or signs, posters, I even walked into the lobby of the 401 building and tried to figure out which building rob and his pals might have been in. no bueno. except for the sublymonal.com billboard on my way down canal back to the highway

it was dark out and didnt even have a camera, it was a spur of the moment thing. anyway at least I know that I didnt miss any 800 pound gorillas cause of the time of night I decided to pass by on my way to get some food.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:57 am
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Soci
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Location: Brooklyn!

 		Good work.. I already did the Sephora on 19th and 5th, so that's one less train ride.. =)

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:00 pm
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Almijisti
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 		The only other thing I could think of to check, then, is to see if you can figure out what or who is listed as being in the suites that have lights on in the trailer.

/edit: there's one light on right below the sign in the corner suite that nearly takes a direct hit. I tried to attach a close up screen cap, but I guess I don't know how to do that.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:00 pm
Last edited by Almijisti on Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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benthic
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 		Okay. Sorry. Been uptight lately and it's just nice to have something original to contribute, instead of being bogged down in frivolous what-if-ing when we have nothing else to go on right now. I also posted the material expecting sarcastic comments from people, though, so I was just.. responding naturally? Oh well. No harm, no foul.

I don't think the location is worth taking a second pass at, though, as it seems kind of pointless to isolate hidden clues in such a remote (considering the nation-wide nature of the ARG) location. Although, still, if I were running an ARG of this scale, that's exactly what I would do...

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:02 pm
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Almijisti
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 		Actually, from what I understand, they did exactly that with TLE.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:05 pm
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benthic
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Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 68
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Almijisti wrote:
Actually, from what I understand, they did exactly that with TLE.

Wait, what? Seriously? I was only involved with TLE for about 50% of the game, but I don't recall any real-world locations or events involved, with the obvious exception of the Rachael Blake event at SDCC06. Do go on.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:07 pm
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Soci
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benthic wrote:
Okay. Sorry. Been uptight lately and it's just nice to have something original to contribute, instead of being bogged down in frivolous what-if-ing when we have nothing else to go on right now. I also posted the material expecting sarcastic comments from people, though, so I was just.. responding naturally? Oh well. No harm, no foul.

I don't think the location is worth taking a second pass at, though, as it seems kind of pointless to isolate hidden clues in such a remote (considering the nation-wide nature of the ARG) location. Although, still, if I were running an ARG of this scale, that's exactly what I would do...
I like the pics because I live in NY and I know excatly where that is *I used to live near there* Anywho, do you think that you can put the pics below each other instead of next to each other because it's stretching the thread... =)

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:11 pm
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