Film & TV Back Lots

The Miller Center has two different back lots: exterior and interior. Students have the flexibility of decorating the back lots in a variety of ways in order to create the scene that they need for their film and television projects.

Exterior Back Lot

The back of the Miller Center has been designed as a three story film and television production back lot that includes a fire station, two residential exteriors, a carriage house, two storefronts and a movie theatre marquee (Palisades Cinema), including a ticket office. The fire station includes an optional old-fashioned fire truck donated by the local fire department.

Interior Back Lot

Inside the building, between the black box theatre and the television studio/film soundstage, is a 24’ wide hall with building facades built into the walls. One side features a brick small town storefront area. These two-story building facades allow the filmmaker to open the upstairs windows, decorate the store display windows, change signs, and see into other shops. This side also includes a working outdoor café that seats 20 people. The other side of the hall includes an Italian building facade (in process), an industrial background, and a 30’ display of three storefronts that were actually used in the 1941 film classic, Citizen Kane. This vintage set from the 1930s gives students a unique backdrop and allows them to shoot their films on the same set utilized by the great filmmaker, Orson Wells. This side of the hall also includes an old neighborhood theatre building facade, designed by renown set designer John DeCuir, as his gift to Asbury. Mr. DeCuir designed sets for Ghostbusters, Cleopatra, Sister Act 2, The Muppet’s 3D Movie, and many other films and television productions. This interior back lot includes a garage door that allows cars to be driven onto the back lot.