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Twin Peaks Location – Calvert Studios in Van Nuys, California

Calvert Studios in Van Nuys, California was home to Twin Peaks Season 3 on Showtime

By now if you have been following Twin Peaks Blog, you’ll know I love discussing, researching and visiting film locations from Twin Peaks. While there are many actual locations to explore in Washington, California and a handful of other states, there are several spots that I’ll never be able to visit unless I invent a time machine. Why? These locations were shot on soundstages in southern California. For Seasons 1 and 2, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me), the crew used Occidental Studios in Van Nuys, California. For Season 3, they traveled to the other side of Van Nuys and set up camp at Calvert Studios.

WHERE IS CALVERT STUDIOS LOCATED IN VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA?

Google Maps - Calvert Studios
Google Maps

The Calvert Studios is located at 15001 Calvert Street in Van Nuys, California.

Google Maps
Google Maps

As you can see on the map, Occidental Studios is about a 16-minute drive from Calvert. But why didn’t the crew return to the original studio for Season 3? The answer – Showtime, which is a subsidiary of CBS Corporation.

HISTORY OF CALVERT STUDIOS

Welcome to Calvert Studios
TheCalvertStudios.com

For more than 30 years, Calvert Studios was the in-house studio and soundstage for Spelling Productions and CBS Studios. Other shows such as the original Beverly Hills 90210, Jericho, and the most recent Melrose Place were all shot at Calvert.

Wayback Machine - TheCalvertStudios.com
Wayback Machine – TheCalvertStudios.com

According to an archived webpage I found on the Wayback Machine, the history of this building dates back to the early 1970s:

“In 1972, Bill Roberts and his company Continental Van Nuys purchased an old brick years in Van Nuys. By early 1973, the Company had compacted the brick yard and began building a small warehouse district on a quiet cull [sic] de sac off of Kester Avenue. The building was primarily used as a light manufacturing warehouse facilitating various tenants for 17 years.

Fast forward to 1990, Spelling Productions had chose our location as a prime location to convert 45,000 sq.ft. of warehouse space into a productions facility to house their new production, Beverly Hills 90210. With 90210 becoming an instant success, Spelling was here to stay, After that shows [sic] success, Spelling proceeded to film various pilots at Calvert until his death (note – he died on June 23, 2006). Paramount and later CBS Studios filmed shows such as Empires, Heist, Harper’s Island, Jericho, and Melrose Place.”

This would be the second Beverly Hills 90210 connection to Twin Peaks I discovered. The first was the film location for the Marsh Mansion in Season 2 which was also used in an episode of 90210.

Of course, Twin Peaks is no stranger to Spelling Entertainment Inc. In Seasons 1 and 2, you may recall that the company logo appeared just after the episode credits rolled and prior to the Lynch/Frost Production logo.

Twin Peaks Episode Credits
Twin Peaks Episode Credits
Spelling Entertainment Inc. Logo
Spelling Entertainment Inc. Logo
Lynch/Frost Productions Logo
Lynch/Frost Productions Logo

These images are burned into my brain from watching Seasons 1 and 2 for so many years.

DISCOVERING THE LOCATION FOR TWIN PEAKS SEASON 3

TheCalvertStudios.com
TheCalvertStudios.com

How did I discover that Twin Peaks Season 3 was shot at Calvert? The About Us page on their website listed “Rancho Rosa” as a production … and it’s still on their website as “Rancho Rosa” more than 2 years later!!

The description even says that it would be “shot as feature and will be broken up into episodes.” So it really did deserve an Academy Award?

The Calvert Studios Facebook Page
The Calvert Studios Facebook Page

The Calvert Studios Facebook page was slightly more up-to-date with the Laura Palmer poster for Season 3.

Rancho Rosa Logo

Rancho Rosa Logo

Rancho Rosa, of course, was the name of the Production Company for Season 3. You probably recall each episode on Showtime began with the lonesome train whistle and a colorful Rancho Rosa logo.

Rancho Rosa Logo

Rancho Rosa Logo

I never did figure out what they meant other than the colors seemed to complement the various episodes (black and white for Part 8, etc.).

Rancho Rosa Estates sign in Part 3
Part 3

Rancho Rosa Estates is also seen several times in the newest Season, such as this establishing shot from Part 3.

Google Maps - Calvert Studios
Google Maps
Google Maps - Calvert Studios
Google Maps

The front of the building is pretty nondescript. I pulled these images from Google Street View circa June 2016.

Bing Maps - Calvert Studios
Bing Maps

The back of the building is best seen on Bing Maps circa January 2015.

THE SOUNDSTAGES AT CALVERT STUDIOS

Soundstage inside Calvert Studios
TheCalvertStudios.com

Fortunately, Calvert’s website (including the archived page on the Wayback Machine) had images from inside the building.

Soundstage inside Calvert Studios
TheCalvertStudios.com
Soundstage from Calvert Studios
TheCalvertStudios.com

They have 4 Stages totaling 40,000 SQFT and 35 offices stretching over 11.000 SQFT of space.

Soundstage inside Calvert Studios
TheCalvertStudios.com
Black and White image of the Calvert Studios
TheCalvertStudios.com

The Facebook post from October 25, 2018 says that addition stages and office space would be added soon (“Stage 4 & 5 and Office Suites C & D will be COMING SOON!!”).

TWIN PEAKS BEHIND THE SCENES AT CALVERT STUDIOS

David Lynch on the soundstage
“Man With the Grey Elevated Hair” short film by Jason S.

Thankfully we get an extensive look at these soundstages from Season 3 because of “Impressions: A Journey Behind the Scenes of Twin Peaks,” a series of short films by Jason S. How I would have loved to have something similar for Seasons 1 and 2.

For example, David Lynch is seen walking toward the KPJK Radio Station set being constructed in “The Man With the Grey Elevated Hair.”

Below are several additional behind-the-scenes images from various sets including Ben Horne’s office at The Great Northern Hotel; Sheriff Frank Truman’s office and jail cells at the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Department; the Buckhorn Hotel room with the French girl; the Red Room; and giant green screens for Special Agent Dale Cooper’s flight through space.

It’s crazy to think these sets are gone now, paraphrasing Roy Batty from Blade Runner, “like tears in rain.”

The Man With the Elevated Grey Hair - KPJK

Pot of Boiling Oil - KPJK

Pot of Boiling Oil - KPJK

Pot of Boiling Oil - David Lynch

Don't Pick Up Hitchhikers - David Lynch

See You on the Other Side Dear Friend - The Hotel Room

Don't Pick Up Hitchhikers - Giant Door

Bad Binoculars - Farewell to Cast

Bad Binoculars - Jail Cells

The Man with the Grey Elevated Hair - Sheriff's Office

Pot of Boiling Oil - Soundstage

Pot of Boiling Oil - Great Northern Hotel

Pot of Boiling Oil - Ben Horne's Office

Pot of Boiling Oil - Green Screen

Pot of Boiling Oil - Green Screen

Pot of Boiling Oil - Red Room Floor

Pot of Boiling Oil - Cooper in Red Room

Pot of Boiling Oil - Cooper Wet

I will eventually cover each one of these sets as my never-ending quest to document all of the film locations from Twin Peaks continues.

Author

  • Steven Miller at Twede's Cafe enjoying cherry pie and coffee

    A "Twin Peaks" fan since October 1993, Steven Miller launched Twin Peaks Blog in February 2018 to document his decades-long fascination with David Lynch and Mark Frost's wonderful and strange show. With his Canon camera in hand, he's visited numerous film locations, attended Twin Peaks events and conducted extensive historical research about this groundbreaking series. Along with fellow Bookhouse Boys, he dreams of creating a complete Twin Peaks Archive of the series and feature film. Steven currently resides in Central Florida.

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